A Hyper-Lethal Hero
by Little Dragon-kun
Summary: Spartan B-312 didn't expect to get thrown into Albion, but she will face her destiny as a Hero either way. Fem!Six/Princess, rated for safety and lemon Ch. 9, 'The Bowerstone Resistance Part 1'.
1. And So Our Story Begins

_**A/N: I've wanted to do one of these stories for a while, but I never got around to it. Blame my other stories. I don't own Fable or Halo. Those rights belong to Lionhead Studios and 343 Industries, respectively. Let's cut to the chase and start it.**_

_**New Game…start!**_

***And So Our Story Begins***

_Planet Reach_

Noble Six, Serah, was on Reach, not expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen.

"Lieutenant, we need you to uncover a certain item from New Alexandria. Be careful; this will not be an easy mission. Carter out," Noble Team's commander ordered over the COM. Serah flashed her acknowledgement light green, and she headed towards the coordinates.

The Spartan was trained for the worst situations. She was the only Spartan III to be rated 'hyper-lethal' for a reason. With her DMR and Assault Rifle, she doubted there could be anything that the Spartan couldn't kill. The Magnum was strapped to her leg, and she only used it in the most desperate occasions; when things were looking so shitty even she didn't think she would make it out alive.

Serah walked towards the city, and she stopped at the sight she saw. New Alexandria was in ruins. Flaming buildings were all that remained of the crown jewel. Still, she soldiered on. It was her duty to go find a certain item and then return alive with it to Noble Team.

'_Still though, why am I always the one who gets sent out for these stupid kinds of missions?' _Serah thought bitterly. A Banshee screamed overhead, and she looked up, drawing her DMR. The craft wasn't interested in her and continued flying, towards the biggest casino in New Alexandria: The Dino.

"Aw, I wanted a chance to gamble," Serah grumbled. If there was one thing the Spartan couldn't resist, it was gambling. It wasn't that she always won. Oh no, far from it. She just liked the idea of the odds being in your favor. Or the odds telling you to 'Fuck off', depending.

She continued on her way, looking left and right to make sure that she didn't get ambushed by any Covenant. Of all the ways to go, that one sucked pretty bad.

She was now in the city, and she had to watch out for the Covenant. Serah turned around a corner, and jumped back as she came face to face with an Elite Ultra. The alien was just as surprised to see her, and it didn't react quickly enough. The Spartan drew her knife and plunged it between the mandibles. A massive amount of purple blood poured out, staining the ground below.

Unfortunately for her, all the Covenant in the area found her.

'_Of fucking course,' _Serah thought angrily, firing her DMR at a pair of Jackal Snipers. The first one died of a headshot, but the second one hit her with a Beam Rifle, breaking her shields. Serah fell, grimacing, "Son a fucking bitch that hurt." She raised her DMR, not letting the pain stop her. Her shields returned, and Serah got a better look at the wound in her leg.

The flesh was blackened and scorched underneath, and Serah hissed in pain when she touched it. She hid behind an overturned car, watching the plasma bolts from the remaining Covenant fly over her. Serah poked her head out, and swore, "Fuck me!"

The Covenant were always notorious for throwing practically every kind of Elite at humanity, and it happened again. The Elite was a General, and it had an Energy Sword in its hand. It was giving some kind of orders, the mandibles moving.

'_Great. This just went from okay to bad to worse,' _she thought dryly. Pulling out one of her two Frag Grenades, she pulled the pin and tossed it towards the Elite. The small explosive detonated, draining the General's shields completely. A single DMR shot to the head finished it off.

"Six, we need you to get that item ASAP. Move Spartan," Carter ordered over the COM.

"I got my hands full of tangos. Unless you want me to say 'fuck you, I'm getting that damn item', I can't go without eliminating them," Serah shot back. Carter didn't reply, and she went back to killing the aliens in front of her. Grunts tried to rush her by running towards the Spartan with Plasma Grenades, only to die from multiple shots to the head.

"Goddammit, why are you bastards always so persistent?" Serah asked angrily, dodging Plasma Pistol bolts. One of the glowing green spheres of energy hit her, and her shields drained, blinking red on her HUD. She hissed as the pain of the Beam Rifle wound lanced up her body again.

"Fuck! I always get hit where it hurts most. I swear, my luck really sucks," Serah grumbled, still firing away with her DMR. The gun clicked, the clip now empty. She hid behind another overturned car to reload. The empty clip was replaced by a new, fully loaded one with a satisfying _click_.

Serah got out from her makeshift cover, and went ultra badass on the remaining Covenant. Jackals and Grunts alike fell before the fully armored Spartan. She was a walking mass of destruction, and even the Elites were no match for her.

An Elite Major was the last one left, and Serah took pleasure in making it suffer. She grabbed a fallen Energy Sword, and began slicing its limbs off. The Elite howled in agony as its arms and legs fell from its body, purple blood erupting from the wounds. It fell to the ground, looking up at the Spartan.

"You will pay for this heresy," it hissed, defiance in its eyes even though it was fatally wounded. Serah flicked her wrist, and the Energy Sword had cut off its head.

"Not today slip-lip," she shot back at the dead alien. She took her Magnum and emptied a full clip into its chest. The body jerked another eight times and was then still. Serah put her Magnum back in its holster and continued on her way.

Her HUD found the exact location of the item, and she went to go find it. Of course, it was under who knows how much rubble.

"Oh great," Serah groaned as she began shifting through the rubble.

She had been digging away for ten minutes when her hand hit something hard, almost metal. She pulled the item out, and was confused. It looked like some kind of seal, a gold and black shield-like piece of metal.

"What the bloody hell is this?" Serah asked as she picked it up. Upon contact, it started to glow a bright light, and Serah was transported to another world.

_Land of Albion_

Jasper had walked into the Princess's room to find she was still asleep. He pulled open the blinds, "What a dreadfully sorry sight." He looked over at the Princess's still sleeping form.

"Such a beautiful day to waste in bed?" he inquired. The Princess began to stir slightly.

"What? Oh go away Jasper," she grumbled, not wanting to get out of bed. Jasper sighed, "Very well, I shall arise your sleeping companion. I'm afraid it is time to rise." He pulled back the covers to reveal the Princess's dog, Kyoki, who was wagging her tail.

The Princess finally surrendered and got up, "Come on girl. If I have to get up, so do you." Both bounded out of bed, and Kyoki began giving Jasper her best puppy-dog stare.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not going to work," Jasper said firmly. A split second later, he admitted defeat by scratching her ears, "That's a good dog."

"Now that you have actually gotten up, perhaps we should change your clothing. Master Elliot is most eager to speak with you and is waiting in the garden. No doubt you'll want to look your best for your young 'friend'," Jasper said, walking towards two mannequins. On one was the elegant Princess outfit; on the other was the practical. Jasper took out a notepad and scribbled something down, "Please choose one of the outfits I have chosen."

The Princess looked over the two outfits, thinking carefully. There was no doubt that the elegant outfit certainly showed her status, but she liked how the practical fit her body better. Plus, she didn't really have to get all worked up if a bit of dirt got on it.

The Princess got change, picking the practical outfit. Jasper nodded approvingly, "Wonderful, I'll sure Master Elliot will approve. Perhaps you should make your way to him now."

The Princess nodded and was about to exit her chambers when Jasper called, "Oh and I would recommend avoiding your brother today. King Logan is rumored to be in a foul mood. Have a good day madam."

"You too. Bye Jasper," the Princess said as she left her room. She walked down the staircase, and the guards on duty gave her a salute, "My Princess." She liked how the guards were always respectful, and in turn she was respectful too.

"Derek, John," she nodded back. She continued down towards the gardens, with the gardeners and servants bowing in respect, "Greetings my Princess."

She found Elliot standing in the back of the garden, and she bounded over to greet him. Her dog reached him first.

"So, you finally decided to impress me huh?" Elliot lightly teased. The Princess responded by kissing him.

"Well, how's that then?" she giggled. Elliot chuckled, "That's quite satisfactory. You win again." he suddenly had a serious expression on his face.

"I thought you'd never get up. Did Jasper tell you I wanted to speak with you?" he asked. The Princess grew concerned.

"Yes. Did something happen?" she asked. Elliot looked around nervously, "I'm not sure, but everyone seems to be upset with your brother. More than usual." The couple walked over to the garden balcony to look out over the city.

"It's even worse in the city. You hear such terrible stories. Listen; they say a factory worker was executed this morning. I'm sure it's only a rumor, but you can imagine how the people are talking. The staff in the castle are anxious; I told them you'd speak to them." Elliot stepped away and faced the Princess with a pleading look, "Will you do that? I'm afraid of what might happen if someone doesn't calm things down."

The Princess shrugged, "If you think it will help."

"I do. They may fear the king, but they still care for their Princess," Elliot assured. He held out his hand, "So, my good Princess, may I have your hand and escort you to the castle? Everyone's waiting for you."

The Princess took hold of Elliot's hand and walked back towards the castle, to the kitchens. They continued talking about the incident on the way to the kitchen.

"I can't believe your brother would actually have a worker executed. But, he's changed so much recently. He looks so tired all the time," Elliot said in concern. The Princess shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"Oh, I told Sir Walter about the little speech. He'll be there to support you. I can't imagine this place without him," Elliot added. They stopped just outside the door to listen to the servants' conversation.

"I heard all he did was stand up for one of the kids working in the factory," Jason said. Poppy looked frightened, "Who knows where it ends. Next thing you know it's one of us that's-"

"Quit your gossiping now! And straighten those bloody clothes," the Steward ordered. He turned around to see he had company. He bowed, "Ah, your Majesty. It's such an honor to have you here today. The staff are convened to hear your words. Whenever you're ready."

The Princess took a deep breath and began her speech, "You have all been through some difficult times. And the king has too, preoccupied to treat you as he should. But I ask you to ignore any wild rumors you may hear. I promise I will talk to my brother about improving conditions for both you and your families outside the castle. Thank you."

Sir Walter had walked down the stairs, and he marveled at how the staff looked up to the Princess. He strutted over to her, "You call that a royal speech? You didn't shout, you didn't threaten, and you were far too reasonable." The Princess was wondering if he was serious until he laughed, "It was bloody marvelous. Right, ready for today's training?"

"Take good care of her Walter!" Elliot called. The Princess walked over to Walter's side.

"I suppose you've heard the rumors then," Walter started off. The Princess nodded sadly.

"Well, I'm afraid they're quite true. Who knows what your brother will do next. In the meantime, the mood in the castle is getting more uneasy by the day. I think you have a knack for reaching out to people. The staff looked up to you like a leader," Walter told her. They reached the front entrance of the castle, and they saw a crowd.

"A lot of people to see your brother today. Poor sods," Walter said sadly. The Princess agreed. It panged her heart to see the people like this: starving, freezing, homeless, unemployed.

A bloke was in front of the crowd, trying to wave us down, "Sir Walter! What a stroke of luck! Will you be so kind as to sign my petition? Too many people are suffering on our streets and the king does nothing. He must be made to care."

"Very well, but I'm just an old soldier. I doubt my name would mean anything," Walter replied. He looked towards the Princess, "But perhaps the Princess here would care to help you out."

The man turned to the Princess, eyes full of hope, "Oh, that would be wonderful, your Majesty. It would be the greatest honor." He held the clipboard in front of the Princess, who was willing to do something.

"I'd be happy to sign," she said with a small smile, signing her name of the clipboard.

"Thank you, my Princess. Your support will make all the difference; I'm sure of it," the man said in relief. The Princess handed the quill back to the man and continued with Walter.

"That was one courageous move. I doubt it'll make a difference, but maybe your brother will finally realize that you have a mind of your own," he said. They entered the combat room, filled with swords and other weapons.

"Let's see you put it to good use in the combat room, come on! You have made good progress these past few weeks, but today isn't about training. I want you to fight me, as if your life depended on it. One day, the people of Albion are going to need you. I have to find out just how ready you are. Alright, grab a sword," Walter ordered.

The Princess grabbed a sword from the rack on the wall and waited for the order to fight.

"Now, fight!" Walter commanded. The Princess danced around him, getting several good strikes in.

"Very good!" he praised, wincing as the sword hit him. It wouldn't kill him, but she could still give him some pains.

"Do you remember of the stories I used to tell you, of your mother, the old Hero Queen? Remember what you would say afterward?" Walter asked as he parried a strike from the Princess.

"Teach me to be a Hero," she recalled. Walter chuckled, "Every time. But I've done my best. Now, I need you to do your best. Strike me!" he ordered.

The Princess narrowed her light green eyes, spun around, and swung her sword. Walter parried it, only to see his sword shatter.

"Haha! You only went and broke it, look! Am I a great teacher or what?" he chuckled. He turned serious.

"But listen; there's something-" he was cut off by the doors bursting open. It was Elliot, and he looked worried.

"Walter, you have to come quick! Both of you!" he shouted. Walter immediately had his guard up, "What's wrong?"

"Outside the castle. It looks like a demonstration," Elliot answered. Walter grimaced, "This is not good."

They walked over to the front of the castle, and the Princess gasped at the sight. There was a huge crowd out front, and they were not pleased at all.

"They're right outside the castle grounds. I've never seen so many people out there," Elliot explained. Walter groaned, "Balls! I should've known this would happen. I don't think they know what your brother is capable of. This isn't going to end well."

The Princess could only stare out the window at the mob. Walter put a hand on her shoulder, "It's been a long time since Logan listened to me, but I should find him. Stay here; we still have something important to discuss," he told her. Walter left them, and went up the stairs to find Logan.

After he left, Elliot and the Princess looked at each other. Elliot spoke first, "We can't let him kill all those people. You're his sister, perhaps he'll listen to you. We have to do something."

He motioned over to the guards, "Look, the guards are leaving. We have to go find Walter."

The Princess led the way, "They must be in the War Room."

"Then let's get there before anyone sees us," Elliot replied. They ran down the far end of the hall, past the Throne Room. They found the War Room, and to their surprise, it was unlocked. Elliot looked through the keyhole.

"Quick, you can see them," he whispered to the Princess. She joined him and saw Walter.

"Think about what you're doing Logan," he warned. Logan was very cross with him, "I'm protecting the interests of the people; do not question me again!" He turned to one of the guards inside.

"You will shoot to kill. Start with the ringleaders, and if necessary continue with the crowd," Logan ordered.

"This is madness. You can't do this," Walter protested. A soldier came up and jammed the butt of his rifle into the back of Walter's knee. He fell, grimacing.

"Never tell me what I can't do," Logan growled.

"Walter," Elliot whispered. It pained the Princess to see her mentor get hurt like that.

"Maybe we can talk to him. We can't let him kill all those people. We have to do something," Elliot pleaded. The Princess nodded, "You're right on that."

She pushed open the door and strolled into the War Room. Logan looked at her in slight surprise.

"What are you doing here? The War Room is no place for a child. Leave now," he ordered. The Princess stood her ground.

"I'm here to stop you. You can't kill all those people," she said defiantly.

"Perhaps you think you should be making these decisions. Very well then, I'll give you a chance," Logan said silkily. He made a slight motion with his hand, and the guards took hold of them.

"Bring my sister and her friend to the Throne Room," Logan ordered. The Princess and Elliot were forced into the Throne Room.

The guards were extremely rude, shoving them along.

"Move!" one of them barked at Elliot.

"I'm going," he shot back. He was shoved, hard, and fell onto the ground, "What?"

The Princess crouched beside him to help him up, "Leave him alone!"

"I'm alright, I'm alright," Elliot reassured. The Princess squeezed his hand, "Don't worry; whatever happens I'll make sure we get through this together."

Logan sat on the Throne, sliding sideways.

"Today, you have disappointed me beyond belief, betrayed by my own blood," he sneered. The Princess marched to him, defiance in her light eyes.

"Punishment must be forced on those who can't obey," Logan continued, rising from his Throne.

"Punish me then," the Princess challenged. Logan looked at her, "You are no longer a child, and it is time I stopped treating you as one. Do you really wish to save those traitors? You shall have your chance."

Logan motioned to the group of people standing by the doors.

"These are the ringleaders of the violent mob. Who will be punished, them, or this boy? The punishment is death," he stated. Elliot narrowed his eyes, "No, this cannot be."

"You're the Princess, decide," Logan taunted. The Princess shook her head furiously, "No, I won't do this!"

"You Majesty, Logan, please," Walter pleaded.

"If you can't decide, then I will. They will all be executed. Tell me; what are you willing to sacrifice to do the right thing?" Logan asked.

"Choose me. You can't let those people die. Choose me," Elliot pleaded, trying to get the Princess's attention.

The Princess stood in front of Logan, her mind swirling. The last thing she wanted to do was have the love of her life die, but at the same time she didn't want to condemn innocents to death.

She looked solemnly at Elliot. She had chosen him.

"Thank you, thank you," the townspeople breathed in relief. Elliot held the Princess's face, "It's alright; you did what you had to do. Never forget what he's done. And remember, that I love you."

"Take the boy away, kill him now," Logan ordered. The Princess clenched a fist, "I will never forgive you for this."

"Good, then you'll never forget it. Escort my sister to her chambers, now," Logan ordered, a triumphant sneer on his face.

The Princess leaned over the dresser in her quarters, crying. Jasper tried to comfort her, "You mustn't be so hard on yourself madam. I don't think any of us knew how far he had fallen into madness."

"I have to do something. I can't just stay here," the Princess replied, her green eyes leaking.

"You're not." They turned around to see Walter enter her quarters.

"We leave the castle tonight. This kingdom needs nothing less than a revolution. It's time to see if you're ready," he continued.

"Ready for what?" the Princess asked.

"To be your mother's daughter," Walter answered. The Princess wiped her eyes and walked over to Walter, "I am."

"Come on; we leave now," Walter beckoned.

"Very well, I'll pack some essentials," Jasper said, moving towards a pair of suitcases.

"There's no time; we take nothing," Walter stopped him. Jasper looked in disbelief, "Not even…pajamas?"

"Oh come on!" Walter hurried.

"Don't worry madam, I shall follow where ever you go," Jasper said confidently.

"I should've done something in the Throne Room; I should've stopped him," Walter hissed as they ran in the rain.

"All you would've accomplished would have been your own death," Jasper pointed out.

"Still, perhaps I should've taken you away sooner," Walter sighed.

"Where are we going? I thought we were leaving the castle," the Princess mused as they ran into the garden. The torrential rain didn't help with visibility.

"We are, but there is something we must do first," Walter informed. He led the way towards a catacomb in the gardens. The Princess recognized it as the burial sight of her mother.

"It's time we paid our respects to Albion's last Hero," Walter said, bowing his head.

"I never thought I'd enter this place again," Jasper muttered.

"You should have known better," Walter scoffed. They entered, and the tomb of her mother was there, along with a massive statue of her.

"The night your mother died; I promised her I would bring you here, when you were old enough and strong enough. The world has been too long without a Hero. I'm hoping it will have one soon," Walter said. He reached into part of the statue's base and pushed. The chains on the statue moved, and the hands fell down to reveal a seal of some kind.

"This is your mother's most prized possession: the Guild Seal. It chooses those that have power; those that have the potential to become legends. Take it," Walter ordered. The Princess picked up the Guild Seal, "Is something supposed to happen?"

All of a sudden, the seal glowed gold, and the Princess found herself in a new place.

_The Road to Rule_

The Princess didn't know what to expect. What she didn't count on was a weird woman with a red cloak on standing in front on her.

"Who are you?" the Princess asked.

"I am Theresa, the Seer of the Spire. I guided your mother in her greatest conquest, but you and another have an even greater destiny," the woman answered.

"Another? What do you mean?" the Princess asked.

"Amy, don't worry. Ah, speak of the Devil, here she is," Theresa said. Beside Amy, a second female appeared, and she looked cross.

"Will someone please explain how the fuck I got here!?" she yelled. She stared at Theresa, "Who the bloody hell are you? What is this place?"

"You are in the land of Albion, Serah. And my name is Theresa," the seer informed.

"Sorry, didn't catch that bit. I was on Reach just a minute ago!" Serah yelled in confusion.

"Well, you were transported by a Guild Seal, weren't you?" Theresa asked. Serah held up the item that had brought her there.

"Are you telling me I'm in a different world?" she asked slowly. Theresa nodded, "Yes. You are here because you are also a Hero."

Serah rolled her eyes, "Don't flatter me."

"You were the only one to activate that seal. You have a certain power inside of your blood," Theresa told her. Serah looked down, and realized her armor was gone.

"Where did my armor go!?" she shrieked. She had worked hard for that Mark V armor, and now it was gone.

Theresa had clearly had enough of this, and she motioned over to the two chests beside her," Both of you, come here. These gauntlets will channel the power inside you. put them on."

Amy and Serah looked at each other, shrugged, and put them on. An orange light glowed from their hands.

"Use this to get out of the tomb. This is basic magic that you should be able to use," Theresa instructed. There was another flash of bright light, and both young women were transported back to Albion.

_Land of Albion_

Serah and Amy arrived back in Albion, and were confused. Even more confused were Jasper and Walter.

"Amy, who is this?" Walter asked.

"I'm Lieutenant Serah B-312," Serah answered. Walter shook his head, "Anyway, do you feel any different?"

I dunno," Amy shrugged.

"Try casting a spell. That's supposed to be our only way out of here," Walter suggested. Amy and Serah looked at each other, shrugged, and let their hands glow orange. They both cast a Fire spell, and the door opened.

"I knew you were a Hero!" Walter yelled gleefully. Serah sighed, "This is one loooooong day.

_**A/N: And finally, it's the end of the first chapter! I know it is really fucking long, but I wanted to get the dialogue from the Fable 3 cut scenes right. I think I did anyway. Most of the chapters will be rather long, so stay with me. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	2. The Journey Starts Now

_**A/N: I'm back for chapter 2 of 'A Hyper-Lethal Hero'. It is a bit early, but I really want to finish this one soon, even though it'll probably the longest fucking story I've ever written. I don't own Halo or Fable; they belong to 343 Industries and Lionhead Studios. I hope you all enjoy!**_

_**Load game…Start!**_

***The Journey Starts Now***

"Did you see that Jasper? Did you see it?" Walter pressed eagerly, having seen two people use magic in the same day.

"I indeed did. Your mother would have been proud," Jasper told Amy, trying to hide his slight annoyance with Walter. The old soldier chuckled, "Well, I know I am. Come on." Walter stopped when he saw the passageway.

"It's somewhat narrow isn't it? Dark too," he commented.

"You never did care for confined spaces did you, Sir Walter?" Jasper asked in slight amusement.

"I never cared for having my eye poked out or having my head chopped off, what of it?" Walter snapped angrily. Serah knew where he was coming from. She too hated cramped spaces, as she was slightly claustrophobic. The Princess seemed to not care too much about the bickering males and she pressed onwards.

"Oh dear, I seem to have struck a nerve," Jasper murmured, hoping Walter wouldn't hear him. He did.

"How about a strike a butler on the bonce?" Walter growled, still pissed off. The passageway was lit by several small encased fires. It eventually widened into a massive cavern, and Walter seemed to be happier at the sight.

"Ah! Now this is more like it! Grand, spacious, a plentiful supply of oxygen; just the way a castle's escape route should be," he commented. Serah allowed herself to relax slightly.

"I'm sorry to intrude, but what is our plan? Other than leaving the castle far behind us, which I wholly approve of, obviously," Jasper intervened.

"It's simple: we have to stop Logan," Walter answered.

"And how the bloody hell are we supposed to do that? Even if Serah and I are Heroes, we're only two people," Amy pointed out nervously. Serah would've agreed with her, but the Spartan's pride took over, "What do you mean, just two people? I wiped out who knows how many enemies by myself."

"Congratulations on the achievement. You win a cookie," Amy returned sarcastically. Serah instinctively reached for her knife, but she remembered it was gone.

"That's why we need to find allies. And lots of them. Once you two prove what you are, people will follow you, and many of them will be willing to fight. Albion needs nothing less than a revolution," Walter answered, breaking up the little squabble between the two women.

They walked down a flight of stairs, and Serah heard a high-pitched chittering from a hole in on of the stone formations. A swarm of small, agile black forms flew out.

"Bats! Take cover!" Jasper yelled, covering his head with his hands. Serah and Amy charged their magic, balls of flame erupting from their hands. They aimed at the bats, and began to kill them. They died fairly easily, as it only took one small hit from a Fire spell to kill them. After the bats were killed, Jasper stopped covering himself.

"Excellent! Did you see that one?" Walter asked.

"Yes Walter. Your mother would definitely have been pleased to see you kill off her least favorite animals," Jasper answered in a bored tone.

"I'm proud of you too, old friend. I've never seen a man cower with such grace," Walter said in amusement.

"It's only a matter of hygiene! Bats are filthy creatures," Jasper protested.

"Anyway. I think we've just seen the start of what you two can do. Bats are only the beginning," Walter told them. Amy continued following Walter, and they didn't get very far before another swarm of bats attacked them.

"More bats!" Walter called, trying to shoot them with his pistol. Serah and Amy hit the flying creatures with accurate Fire spells, not missing a single target.

"I must say, you have very good aim for someone not from this land Serah," Amy commented.

"Well, I was a soldier back in my world. I specialized in precision weapons," Serah returned. They continued walking, and then Walter interrupted them with a warning.

"You might want to cover your noses from here on out. It's the Bowerstone Sewers," he advised. Serah got what he meant a split second later. The reek hit her nostrils, and she gagged. So did Amy.

"This is fucking disgusting," the Princess muttered, thankful she didn't wear her elegant outfit earlier. Otherwise, it would have gotten filthy.

Jasper sighed, "Very well." Walter unsheathed his sword and drew his pistol, "You might want to cover your eyes too Jasper. More bats! Time to exterminate a few more bats."

From the combined power of Serah and Amy's magic to Walter's pistol, the bats were dead in no time, and they pressed on.

"Ugh, what an unusual stench. I daresay we must be somewhere underneath Bowerstone Industrial," Jasper muttered.

"Very likely. It's not the safest place for us right now, but we can reach a safer place once we reach the surface," Walter shrugged. They walked through the sewers, and they spotted a small cavern on the right.

"It appears to be a dead end," Jasper mused. He was right; there didn't seem to any way to get out. Unless they walked all the way back and snuck out the ultra hard way.

"Not quite," Walter corrected. Amy and Serah walked in, and they noticed a strange device on the ground with the same symbol as the Guild Seal.

"What is that?" Amy asked.

"It's a Cullis Gate. It's a sort of magical transportation method for Heroes," Walter answered.

"I was under the impression that all Cullis gates were gone," Jasper said in confusion. Serah was still confused, "What the hell is this place?" she had not noticed Amy's dog, who had bounded over to her and was trying to lick her.

The Spartan let her gaze soften at the friendly creature, "Aww, so kawaii." She scratched Kyoki behind the ears, and the dog wagged her tail faster.

"Well, this is one is still here. Your mother must've left here on purpose," Walter guessed. Peering closely, Amy and Serah saw the symbol more closely.

"It's the same seal as the one by the tomb. Do you think it's activated in the same way?" Jasper asked.

"Only one way to find that one out," Serah said with a smirk.

"That's for damn sure," Amy muttered, charging her magic along with Serah. They both unleashed a Fire spell at the same time, and the Gate activated.

_The Sanctuary_

They knew they had been transported somewhere, but they had no idea where. Walter had his hand on his sword's handle, ready to strike. Amy and Serah were in fighting stances as well, while Jasper had passed out momentarily.

"What the bloody hell is this place?" Amy asked after a drawn out silence. Walter eased up, causing Serah to do the same. Jasper had also risen to his feet again. Walter looked around the place they were in. It looked to be a small chamber, with multiple doors.

"It must be…it is! It's your mother's Sanctuary! She used to speak of it, but I never thought it was a real place," Walter mused. There was a large, circular map in the center of the room, and on it was a book. Walter picked it up, "Jasper! I don't believe it. This book, it has your name on it."

"But that's impossible!" Jasper protested. He took a closer look at the book, "For Jasper? Well, granted it is possible but it must be a coincidence."

"There is no such thing as coincidence; there is only the inevitable," Serah said. Amy turned to face her, "Where'd you hear that?"

"It's something I've come to realize on my own. Everything happens for a reason," Serah explained.

"Jasper, don't be a dolt! The old Queen must've left it for you. What does it say?" Walter pressed.

"It's called the 'Book of Heroes'. How extraordinary," Jasper murmured, scanning through the pages.

"Does it tell us how to get out at all?" Walter asked, not liking the cramped space.

Jasper continued on his reading. He was completely obsessed by now, "This really is most remarkable. Everything we could possibly want to know about Heroes is right here in these pages." He closed the book and faced the two Heroes, a gleam in his eyes.

"This map functions as a traveling mechanism. Simply choose where you want to go, and well, it should take you there," he informed.

"Should?" Serah questioned, hearing the chance that it might not.

Walter ignored her, "Good, we can use that then. There will plenty of time to explore this bloody place later. But for now, we have a rather daunting task ahead of us."

"I have no clue as where to start though," Amy muttered, shaking her head. Walter looked over to Serah, as if expecting her to say something. She put her hands up, "I have no fucking clue either."

Walter sighed and looked at the map. He studied it before clapping his hands together.

"Of course! That's where it will all begin," he said to himself. He straightened up, and Serah could hear his bones crack. One downside to having near perfect hearing.

"Our first stop will the mountains of Mistpeak. There are people there who'll make great allies. They aren't the most trusting of people, but they despise Logan. If anyone can convince them to join our cause, it'll be you two," Walter told them. Jasper faced him, "I'll stay here in the Sanctuary. No doubt we'll need to make full use of its capabilities." Walter nodded in approval before facing the two Heroes again.

He motion towards the map, "Find Mistpeak on the map, and let's see if that bloody book is telling us the truth."

Serah and Amy sighed and looked for Mistpeak. It wasn't hard to find, as it seemed to be the only mountain chain in Albion.

"That looks to be a Dweller Camp. Select it, and you should travel there," Jasper urged.

Serah and Amy selected the Dweller Camp, and the map began to glow. After a second, Serah, Amy, Walter, and Amy's dog Kyoki were out of the Sanctuary and in the mountains.

_Dweller Camp_

Serah landed on one knee, "Shit!" She was still not used to the fast travel. Amy didn't fare too much better either. Walter clutched his sides, "I still haven't gotten used to this." In fact, the only one who seemed to be unfazed was Kyoki, and she was waving her tail in excitement.

"Show-off," Serah muttered. The dog only barked happily.

"Well, we made it," Walter commented as he straightened up. He immediately started to shiver.

"Brr! I forgot who bloody cold it is up here," he complained.

"To say it's fucking cold would be an understatement," Serah pointed out.

"That's for damn sure," Amy agreed. They walked down the path, and they saw a village with people on the paths begging.

"The people here are called Dwellers. They're tough, they're loyal, and like I said earlier, they hate Logan's guts," Walter explained. It truly was a sorry sight to see people suffering this bad, especially for Amy.

"Oh my God," she whispered, horror and shock on her face. Serah gave her a comforting hug, "It'll only get worse from here. Remember this when the time comes."

Amy leaned into Serah, allowing herself to be comforted.

Walter waved his arms in sorrow, "This is what Logan has reduced them to. He has started destroying these mountains, and they are starving."

Amy's green eyes almost wept when a young girl, no older than 7, walked up to her holding a doll, "I'll trade you my doll for some food. She's really good, honest. Her name's Sadie."

Serah could only stare at the state of this poor village. Its people were starving, and there seemed to be no end to their misery.

"The man we need to talk to is a man called Sabine. He leads the Dwellers, and if anyone is a good start for an army, it's him," Walter informed, trying to pry their attention away from the starving villagers.

Amy looked on, "How can Logan do this? It's so cruel." Serah wrapped an arm around her, "I don't know Amy. I don't know. But one thing is for damn sure. He will pay for making his own people suffer like this." The last words were filled with fury, and her stormy blue eyes were ablaze.

They had reached the end of the path, and were facing a large, wooden gate. Walter stroked his beard thoughtfully, "You know, perhaps it's best if I talk to him alone first. He won't offer his allegiance easily, especially to a Princess. Also, you both should find some new clothes while you're here. We don't want to attract too much attention."

"We already did," Serah sighed in exasperation. Walter handed them a pouch. When Amy shook it, they heard the rattle of gold coins.

"I only have a little bit of gold, but it should be enough," Walter said apologetically. He added, "Maybe you should spread the leftovers among the people. They need it way more than we do."

"Like that wasn't painfully obvious," Serah said sadly, gesturing to the starving people begging.

"Well then, wish me luck." Walter entered the gate, leaving the two Heroes alone. Amy pointed to a small shop at the far end of the camp.

"Look; it looks like a clothing store," she said. Serah followed her finger and smiled, "Good eye there. Now we can get some new clothes." They jogged down the path until they reached the store.

It wasn't much more than a wooden stand. It at least had a roof, and two mannequins on display, both with a suit of clothing. It was composed of furs, and it looked to be not the most comfortable thing in the world, but it would keep them warm.

The stall owner looked at them wearily, "What do you tow want then?"

"Two female suits of clothing please," Amy answered. The man nodded slowly and got two pairs of the female outfit.

"That'll be 600 gold," he said in the same tired voice. Amy gave him 650, and his eyes lit up. He started to tear up, "Thank you miss. Thank you."

Amy nodded in farewell, "It's the least I can do." The Heroes walked about two feet when they both heard a voice.

"Hello ladies? Am I talking through the Guild Seal? Wow, what a remarkable device. This is Jasper, and you must return to the Sanctuary, as I have found something you both need to see." It was Jasper, and it sounded important. They focused their Will and traveled to the Sanctuary, where Jasper was waiting eagerly.

"In the Sanctuary there is a Changing Room. If you would so kindly step through these doors," he invited, a door to his right opening.

Serah stepped in, "Wow, this place is a whole lot bigger than I thought." Amy pointed towards a pair of mannequins, "Isn't that our clothing?"

Serah nodded, "Yeah, but how the hell did it end up here?"

Jasper ignored them, "If you would both change into the Dweller outfits, I would be so happy."

Serah and Amy got off their clothes from before and got dressed in the Dweller outfits. Once they were done, they looked in the large mirror to look at themselves.

"You look just like Dwellers. I do hope this new clothing is as comfortable as your previous attire, though I suspect the odds of that are quite low," Jasper commented.

Amy and Serah focused their Will and left the Sanctuary, returning to the Dweller camp. The misery of the place was around them once more.

"I guess we better head on back to Walter," Amy sighed. Serah nodded, "While we do that, let's give this money to the villagers."

They stood in the center of the path, giving out the gold. The happy smiles of joy replaced the sorrow on the Dwellers' faces. They made their way to the end of the path with some cheers in their ears.

At the gate was Walter. He strolled over to meet them.

"How'd it go?" Serah asked. Walter shook his head, "I've spoken to Sabine, explained everything. I told you he'd be hard to convince. Come on in." He waved them inside.

On the other side of the gate was a small throne of sorts, and there sat an old man. This must be Sabine.

"So, royalty and the army come to our home. A princess and Lieutenant, no less. Do you like what your brother has done to our home, princess? We used to own these mountains, but now your brother is stripping them of all life. How do we know that you are any better?" he asked, a clam fury in his voice.

Sabine had every right to be filled with hate towards Logan; his people were starving because of the King after all. Amy tried to convince him, "You can trust me; you have my word."

Sabine scoffed, "We don't take much in words these days. We're simple folk. However, there is something you can do to show me you are worth following?"

"What is it?" Amy asked. Sabine motioned her to lean forward.

"I want proof. First off, prove to me that you two are in fact Heroes and not some bloody posers. This is easily done. There is a chamber beneath the Brightwall Academy, built by your mother years ago. Only a Hero is capable of surviving its obstacles. Bring me an object from within, and I'll believe you. Secondly, prove to me that you are capable of being a general. You can do this by slaying the mercenaries that plague these mountains. Finally, prove that you can be a leader. This can be accomplished by convincing the people of Brightwall to share what supplies they have with us," he told them.

"Is that it then?" Amy asked. Sabine nodded, "Yep, that's it. On you go." Serah looked at her watch, "Bloody hell he talked for a long time." As they walked out of the camp, Walter began to chuckle, "It's nice to see that Sabine hasn't mellowed with age."

"The old man's got quite a bit of fight in him, that's for damn sure," Serah commented.

"Anyway, I know of the place he spoke of. Your mother built it under the Brightwall Academy, Albion's greatest seat of learning. At least it was, until Logan closed it down. In the meantime, I'll go find some information on the mercenaries Sabine mentioned. I'll see you two in Brightwall when I have some information," he continued.

They had reached the exit of the camp, and the way across a small gorge was by a small bridge. As Amy and Serah crossed it, Walter muttered, "It sure makes a nice change doing something useful."

The Heroes rolled their eyes and crossed the bridge into the mountains.

_Mistpeak_

Amy shivered as a cold wind hit her, "It really is too cold up here."

"I don't know how they manage to live with it," Serah agreed. They walked down the mountain path, a twisting, winding road. They had reached a flat point on one of the mountain's sides when they heard a howl.

"Did you hear that?" Serah asked, her hand glowing.

Amy nodded, "It sounded like wolves." She too began charging her magic, and they only walked about five more feet before they came across the wolves.

The creatures had black fur, and their jaws were dripping as they snarled at the two. Their growls turned into yelps as both women began to hit them with their magic, the fire scorching them.

After the last wolf was killed, Serah wiped her brow, "That was actually rather easy."

"Don't jinx it," Amy warned. They crossed a rather rickety looking bridge, and Serah wasn't happy to see there were more of the wooden bridges up ahead. They had crossed the second bridge when they were attacked by wolves again.

"Too easy!" Serah crowed as she blasted the wolves with Fire magic. Amy had to agree; for something so important, this was extremely easy. Too easy.

They ran down the mountain, ignoring the unnerving creaks the bridges made when stepped on. At the mountain's base, they had to fight one last wolf pack.

"You know, I'm kinda bored with fighting these," Serah complained. She was used to fighting massive alien warriors that could kill you in a heartbeat. For the heavily trained Spartan, this was child's play.

After the wolf pack was killed off from the combined magic of Amy and Serah, they spotted a pair of ruins in the distance.

"What is that?" Serah asked, trying to get a closer look. Amy pointed to the sign that the Spartan hadn't noticed.

"Maybe this will say?" Amy suggested, amusement in her tone. Serah rolled her eyes, "Very funny." They continued past the ruins along the path to the town ahead.

_Brightwall_

Once they had entered Brightwall, they saw they still had quite a long way to go before they reached town. The path winded down a hill towards a much more stable looking bridge made of stone. The only scary bit was the massive fall if someone fell over the side.

"Now that is a long fucking way down," Serah commented, peering over the edge. Amy pointed to the large wooden gates ahead, "That's the entrance to the town."

They jogged down the bridge, which didn't take too long. Before they reached the wooden gates, they opened up, and a few merchants walked through.

Once they had entered the town, Serah marveled at the sight. On the left were a blacksmith, several small stalls, and a bridge leading towards the center of town. On the right were a pawnshop, a pub, and other small stalls as well.

They crossed the second bridge, going away from the hairstylist and up the winding road to the top of the hill. On their way up, Serah noticed several wells, and just how different Albion was. This land was much less advanced in technology, but there were still some modern inventions around.

Serah saw a massive building at the top of the hill, and she pointed at it, "I think that might be our destination." Amy nodded and followed her in.

_Brightwall Academy_

The inside of the Brightwall Academy was well lit, and it was filled to the brim with books. In front of the door, about a couple meters away, was an old librarian at a desk writing something. Without looking up, he began to speak in a bored tone.

"The library is closed by order of the King. We don't sell drinks, we don't sell chicken feed. Please leave before the soldiers suspect you of gaining real knowledge," he said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Amy cleared her throat with a hacking cough, and the man looked up.

"Sweet papyrus, a real visitor!" he exclaimed. Amy nodded, "Erm, yeah we are." Serah smirked at the redhead's slight awkwardness. Amy turned around, "Don't tease me dammit!"

"Ladies, I'm afraid I was speaking the truth. King Logan has closed the Academy, and I'm little more than a custodian these days," the librarian said apologetically. Sighing, Amy and Serah pulled out their Guild Seals, a light sparkling from them.

The librarian jumped back, "By the Holy Bookmark! The Guild Seals!" After his slight shock at seeing two of them in front of his eyes, he calmed down, "I haven't seen that since the old Hero Queen last came here. Then you are…?"

"The Princess, yes," Amy said in her awkward tone, prompting Serah to smirk in amusement. The librarian turned to the Spartan, a confused look on his face.

"I wasn't aware that there were two seals. Who might you be?" he asked. Serah placed her right fist over her heart with her left arm folded behind her before answering, "Lieutenant Serah, sir."

The librarian nodded, and motioned for them to follow him, "Well then, please, come this way." He led the Heroes into the Academy, and he continued to talk, "Your mother once told me that one day a challenger bearing the seal would come to the Academy, seeking entrance to the Reliquary. But I never imagined it would happen in my lifetime."

He led them down a hall to the right, and they entered a room roped off and filled with small statues. At the end was a metal door, with some strange mechanisms engraved on it.

The librarian stopped in front of the door, "Here we are: the Reliquary. I can't tell you how many of our researchers have studied this door, hoping to unlock its mechanism."

"Way too fucking many?" Serah suggested, bringing a small fit of laughter out of Amy.

"You could say that. But I knew there would be only one thing that would ever open it," the librarian replied. Amy put her seal on the door, and the mechanism shifted, the gears spinning. The door opened and revealed a long dark passage, one that would surely test the Heroes.

Taking a deep breath, they gathered their courage and entered, the door shutting behind them.

_**Save game…Quit!**_

_**A/N: I started writing this yesterday, and I finished it today. If you're lucky, I might do two chapters in one day. But, no promises on that one. I'll see you on the flip side. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	3. Heroes Are Born

_**A/N: Well, it looks like I'll start the next chapter today, but I won't finish it for at least another few days or so. The feedback makes me happy, and I'm taking OC requests for the guards and mercenaries as well. I already have two, and I'm hoping for some more possibly. I don't own Halo or Fable; those rights belong to 343 Industries and Lionhead Studios. I hope you enjoy.**_

_**Load game…start!**_

***Heroes are Born***

_The Reliquary_

Serah entered first, with Amy bringing up the rear guard. In front of them was the inside to a tomb of some kind. Along the hallway were a bunch of old bookcases, some crumbling under the weight of hundreds of books. The passageway was lit by several torches, the orange glow providing quite a bit of light for visibility.

"This place certainly has an ominous feel to it," Amy commented, her hand glowing slightly.

"You can say that again," Serah muttered, doing the same. They walked down the end of the hallway, only to see a staircase to the right. It circled around a bit, and led to a small edge at the bottom. Their way was blocked, however, by the absence of a bridge for them to cross to the other side.

"Well shit, what the hell are we supposed to do now?" Serah asked, seeing no way to advance. Normally, she would just barge in and go Spartan badass, but that was not possible in this situation.

Amy pointed to a strange, blue colored object floating in the air, "I think that has something to do with it." The object was circular, with a sword in the middle of it. Before Serah could ask what it was, a voice from their Guild Seals interrupted.

"Hello, this is Jasper again. According to the book, these objects are called Flit Switches. To activate them, they require a knock from a melee weapon. That brings me to more important news. Please return to the Sanctuary at once." It was Jasper.

Amy and Serah used their Will to go to the Sanctuary, and Jasper was waiting in the main room.

"Ah yes, this Sanctuary contains an armory, where there are some truly remarkable weapons, Heroic weapons, waiting for you," he informed. The door all the way to the left opened, and Amy and Serah entered.

"Wow," Serah breathed as she saw the weapons. She picked up one of the swords, testing its balance.

"Not bad, not bad," she commented, twirling it in her fingers. Amy picked up the other one in her hand, "It'll do for now."

Serah put the sword across her back, prompting Amy to do the same. They left the armory to head to the Changing Room. They changed into their outfits from earlier, and they sighed happily at being comfortable again. They glowed gold and left the Sanctuary, returning to the tomb.

Serah pulled out her sword and swung at the Flit Switch. Upon contact, the switch vanished and a stone bridge appeared in the gap.

"Now we can cross," Serah muttered, putting the sword in its sheath. Amy pointed at a bunch of wisps in the air, and they were scattered around the enclosed area. She pulled her sword out, having read about wisps before with her mother.

Serah noticed the redhead's actions, and drew her own weapon, "Something tells me this isn't going to end well." She was right in a sense.

The wisps dove into the ground, and a rotting body erupted from the ground. It was the shape of a human, but it looked decayed and covered with dusty rags.

"Shit! We got Hollow Men!" Amy yelled angrily. Serah turned around, "What the hell is a Hollow Man?"

"It's a reanimated corpse. You see those wisps? They are the souls of the dead, and they can reanimate dead tissue, creating Hollow Men," Amy explained. The Hollow Men advanced towards Amy, and the Princess rolled out of the way of a strike. She darted in, slashed multiple times, and the first one was dead.

Serah nearly got cleaved by another, bringing her sword up to parry the blow barely in time.

"You know, for something so damn fragile looking, they can put up a good fight!" she yelled over to Amy. The redhead couldn't answer, as she had too many enemies to fight. Her hand glowed a bright orange, and Amy unleashed a surround Fire spell, all the Hollow Men in her area burnt to death, leaving only plies of scorched bones and rags.

Serah was starting to get annoyed, as it took too many strikes to kill one Hollow Man. Granted, the sword wasn't the strongest in the world; hell, it was the most basic one you could own. But still, a fully trained Spartan should have enough power to cut a walking mass of bones and rags in half with no problem.

She finally killed them, and they stopped to catch their breath.

"I really need a better weapon," Serah panted. Amy nodded in agreement. After they had rested for a couple of minutes, they were on their way again, jogging out of the confined area.

They crossed the bridge on the other side, and found a door in front of them. When they got close, the door opened, showing just how large the tomb was.

"Shit, we're going to be here all day at this rate!" Serah complained.

"Well, my mother didn't want any normal person to venture in here and steal one of her treasures," Amy pointed out.

"Ah, can't argue with you on that one," Serah shrugged. They continued through the door, and another Flit Switch was waiting for them. Since it had a red color and a magic symbol on it, Serah figured it would be activated by magic.

"Hit it with a Fire spell," she advised. Amy charged her magic and hit the switch with a well-aimed Fire spell. The switch activated and a staircase rose. They walked onto the staircase, and Serah began to feel a bit dizzy as she looked down.

"Now that is one huge fall," she commented, trying to stop her world from spinning. The abyss was big, and if she fell the chance of death was certain.

At the edge of the staircase was a blue arrow.

"What do you suppose this is?" Serah asked.

"I'm pretty sure we have to stand on it, as it is a lever that will raise the other platforms," Amy answered. She moved forward, stepping on the blue arrow. The ground shook briefly as a platform rose from the abyss, directly in front of them. Serah noticed the wisps diving into the ground, and swore, "Fuck me."

Several more Hollow Men came from platform. Since they were fighting Heroes with some basic fighting experience though, they fell in no time, small bone piles being the only remains.

Serah saw another blue arrow on the platform, and she stepped on it, "Here goes nothing."

Another platform rose, and thankfully no Hollow Men appeared. Although that was probably because the closest wisps were some considerable distance away.

Amy stepped forward, now on the second platform. There were three choices for the blue arrows this time: forward, left and right.

Going forward would be the more direct, easier route, but in the air waiting were some wisps, and Serah did not want to deal with more Hollow Men right now.

To the right was a stone ledge, although that too was blocked off by wisps. That left only one solution: left.

The route to the left was slightly longer, but it avoided the wisps and they wouldn't be worn out afterwards.

"What do you think?" Amy asked, nudging Serah. The Spartan sighed, "I'm not sure. Going right is out of the question immediately, as I am so not zigzagging my way around this. If we went straight it would be shorter, but there are some wisps in front of us. Going left is slightly longer, but we don't have to fight anything."

"We do want to get a good amount of fighting experience, but we don't want to be drained at the end of this," Amy said thoughtfully, pushing a loose strand of red hair out of her eyes.

"Fuck it, I guess we go straight then," Serah muttered, stepping on the lever. The minute the platform reached their level, the wisps dove into the ground to spawn more Hollow Men.

Serah charged her magic, and she let loose a barrage of Fire, the blasts colliding with the Hollow Men. Their rags were set ablaze, and Amy mowed them down with her sword. After they were done, Amy wiped her brow, "This is starting to get really annoying." Serah murmured agreement.

They had reached the other end of the platforms, and descended a staircase to the other side of the abyss.

"Thank God that's done," Serah muttered, annoyed with fighting undead creatures already.

They headed left, and reached a broken bridge, multiple cages in front of them. Serah peered down, "Fuck, the only way is down." Amy joined her, "At least there is water to cushion our fall though." The redhead did have a good point. They wouldn't die unless they hit the rocks on the other side, and unless they had the super jump ability, that wasn't happening.

"Geronimo!" Serah shouted as she dived off of the broken bridge, landing in the water below. Amy joined her, landing close by. Serah saw the redhead and smirked, "The water doesn't really help our outfits at all."

Amy looked down and saw her shirt was drenched, as well as transparent. She blushed, "Not funny!" She pointed at Serah's wet shirt, "You can't talk either!"

"The wet T-shirt contest will have to wait. Right now we have a rather important task to do," Serah tried remind. She swam to the other edge of the pool, where there was thankfully some land. Amy joined her, "Jesus, you swim too fast!"

"Sorry," Serah apologized. The redhead joined her on the banks, and they saw a circular door.

"What the hell do you think this is?" Amy asked. Serah pointed to the magic symbol on the ground, "Dunno, but I think this has something to do with it." She charged up another magic spell and shot a streak of flame at the door. The door glowed and opened, revealing the inside.

"Wait, I think this might be the Vault of the Relinquary," Amy whispered, looking at her surroundings. Piles of bookcases were littered around. Suddenly, Amy felt an odd presence, the same kind as when they fought Hollow Men. She signaled for Serah to stop. The Spartan looked at her in confusion, "What is it?"

Amy made a cutting motion across her throat, and Serah fell silent. She watched as the Princess picked up a stray stone and threw it. Hollow Men erupted from the ground, even though there weren't any wisps in sight.

"I knew it," Amy hissed, shaking her head.

"You felt them?" Serah guessed. Amy nodded quietly. The pair looked around the bookcase, and began to charge their magic.

"On my count," Serah whispered. Amy waited for the go-ahead signal, and it was delivered soon.

"Now!" Serah ordered. The Hollow Men didn't even notice two balls of fire heading towards them, until it was too late. As their bodies crumpled, Serah fist pumped, "Yes!"

Up ahead, several towers jutted several stories up. Serah whistled, "That is one hell of a climb, one that I don't fancy."

They walked through, not meeting any undead resistance at all. Things were looking good. A door opened to reveal five unlit torches.

"I wonder what happens if we light those?" Serah mused, motioned to the torches. Amy shrugged, "Anything could happen. Let's hope it's a free 'Room Service for 1 Month' card or something."

Serah chuckled, "After the shit I went through today, I sure as fuck could use that." Amy gave a sly grin, "Figured you would say that."

They walked up a flight of stairs that led to a cliff face, but the ledge was quite large, and they wouldn't fall off unless one of them was careless. They continued climbing, and Serah threw her arm in front of Amy, "Wait a minute."

As Amy gave her a look of confusion, the Spartan pointed to the group of wisps up ahead. The redhead sighed in exasperation, "This never ends does it?"

Serah shook her head, "Sorry sweetheart, but it'll only get worse from here. Look at the bright side. At least they're only bones and rags."

They walked forward, aware of the threat the wisps posed. They saw several swoop down to reanimate dead corpses, and they readied their swords. The first one sprang from the ground, only to meet Serah's blade. Two more swift strikes later and it was dead for good.

Amy parried a blow and let her body glow silver. She seemed to be waiting, and then she performed an unblockable Flourish attack. The Hollow Man disintegrated in front of her.

"Nice moves you've got," Serah complimented, parrying another strike from a Hollow Man's cleaver.

'_Sorry you ugly zombie fucktard, but you have to do a whole lot better to kill a Spartan,'_ Serah thought dryly as she slashed it in half. It didn't take long before the Hollow Men were dead again, this time permanently.

"It's actually a good workout isn't it?" Serah asked in slight amusement. Amy sighed before putting her sword across her back.

"You're really enjoying this aren't you?" she returned. Serah gasped in mock surprise.

"How'd you guess?" she asked in an overly dramatic tone. The redhead rolled her eyes.

"It's way too damn obvious," Amy pointed out.

They looked around the area.

"Wait a minute; aren't we back in the main part of this shithole?" Serah asked, gesturing towards the walls. Amy took a closer look, "It seems to be that way."

They walked towards the ledge, only to see that again they couldn't advance. There was a Flit Switch in the air, but it was yellow and had a target on it.

"Oh great," Amy moaned, feeling worn out. Serah looked at the target symbol, "Wait, if it has a target on it, maybe we have to shoot it for it to activate?"

Again, Jasper's voice came from the Guild Seals, once again giving them more helpful advice.

"Hello, it's Jasper again. You remember how I said that Flit Switches required a knock from a melee weapon?" he asked.

"Yeah, I doubt we'd forget that so quickly," Serah said dryly. Amy ignored her snarky comment and pressed on, "Yes we do. What else is there?"

"Well, the 'Book of Heroes' says that blue switches require melee; red are activated by magic; yellow are activated by ranged weapons," Jasper answered.

"In case you haven't noticed, we don't have any fucking guns. Unless you want me to pull one out of my ass, we ain't going anywhere," Serah said in her snarky tone.

"You really are the 'Queen of Sarcasm', aren't you?" Amy muttered. Serah gave her a gentle nudge, "Like you don't enjoy it already."

"I don't," Amy retorted. Serah gave another dramatic gasp, "Oh, the pain of someone not liking my wit." Jasper cleared his throat, ending their little squabble.

"Sorry," they both apologized. Jasper continued, "Like I was about to say, I have found some guns for you to use, and these weapons must be seen to believed. Please return to the Sanctuary at your earliest convenience."

"He's really polite isn't he?" Serah murmured.

"Well, he is a butler," Amy pointed out.

"Point taken."

They used their Will to travel to the Sanctuary, and Jasper was waiting outside of the armory.

"Hello! The weapons in question were also left by your mother. They are in the armory," he informed. Serah entered the armory, and saw the guns.

They weren't the high tech Sniper Rifles or DMRs she was used to, but these guns looked like they could pack a good punch. Serah hefted the rifle, looking down the sights, "I'll take this one."

Serah faced Jasper, "How much accuracy does this thing have?"

"Right now, it has decent accuracy. But as you use it more often, it will grow more powerful. It's a living weapon," Jasper said, a glint of excitement in his eyes. Amy had picked up the pistol, testing its balance.

"I guess this one is mine," she commented, twirling it in her hand before holstering it.

"You little cowgirl," Serah muttered.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Now that you have made your choices, you should return to that bloody tomb and get the item Sabine mention," Jasper suggested.

"What do you think we were about to do?" Serah pointed out dryly. Amy tugged on her hand, "Come on!" They focused their Will and left the Sanctuary, returning to the Reliquary.

Serah aimed her rifle at the Flit Switch and fired, the round placing neatly in the bulls-eye.

"Them skills though," she crowed, feeling immensely pleased at her marksmanship.

"Okay, we get it; you're a good shot. Stop showing off," Amy said dryly, waving her pistol around.

A staircase rose from the abyss, and it led to a tower above them. Serah looked up, "How much longer do you think it'll take before we get there?"

"I don't know," Amy admitted, continuing to twirl her pistol. She was thankful it was on safe; otherwise she could accidentally shoot the Spartan if she was careless.

They crossed the staircase, and were now on the tower floor. Serah looked up, and cursed, "Shit!" Amy saw what the Spartan was looking at, and agreed with her.

Above them were dozens of wisps, and they started to dive into the ground, Hollow Men rising. Amy unsheathed her sword, "Back to back formation." Serah pressed her back against the Princess's and drew her sword, pointing it at the seemingly endless undead horde.

"This is really not looking good at all for us," she said through gritted teeth. A Hollow Men swung its cleaver too close, and Serah decapitated it before blasting it with Fire magic.

"Fire seems to work well against them. Use your magic!" she ordered. Amy nodded and began to unleash her power, hitting all the Hollow Men in range with her magic. The normal ones seemed to fall easily. Serah thought there could be nothing that could give them a serious fight. Until they both spotted it.

The armored Hollow Man was huge, easily twice the height of a normal one. It was covered head to toe in thick grey armor, and at the ends of its hands were massive hammers.

"Shit, one good hit from that and we'll be knocked out," Serah muttered. She tried to hit it with her magic, only to watch in shock as the fire was harmlessly absorbed. This bastard was tough.

Amy jumped up and drew her pistol, firing three rounds before reloading. The Armored Hollow Man stumbled back as the rounds penetrated its armor. Serah rolled out of the way of its hammers, firing two rounds from her rifle. The Armored Hollow Man couldn't take any more abuse from the Heroes' weapons and finally died, a mass of bones and armor falling on the ground. Serah sat down, leaning against one of the pillars holding the roof up.

"I'm really getting tired of fighting these fuckers," she groaned, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. Amy stumbled towards her to take a break as well. Serah's eyes grew in concern as she saw the Princess was wounded, a nasty looking wound on her left arm.

"Are you alright?" Serah asked, taking Amy's arm to observe it more closely. Thankfully, the bleeding had nearly stopped and she was beginning to heal.

"Don't worry. We have Heroic blood, so we can heal our wounds much quicker than normal humans," Amy reassured. Serah ripped a small piece of fabric from her own outfit and wrapped the wound, "Still, we can't risk it getting infected. Hero or not, we're not immortal."

Amy flexed her arm after it was wrapped, "It'll be good in a couple of minutes or so. Shall we continue?"

Serah rose to her feet, and a staircase rose from the tower to the platform to the left of them. She saw two wisps dive into the ground, and she pulled out her rifle, taking aim.

"If I were you, I'd take them out from long distance," Serah advised.

"Yeah, I hate it when they get too close," Amy agreed, drawing her pistol. The Hollow Men appeared, each equipped with single-shot rifles.

Serah ducked as a round whizzed by her face, nearly striking her. She looked back, thankful she didn't get hit.

Serah lined up the sights and fired, two rounds killing the first Hollow Man. Amy unloaded the three rounds from her pistol, effectively taking care of the second one. They stopped to reload, only to realize the targets were dead.

"Wow," Serah laughed, finding their little miscue to be amusing. Amy walked up the second staircase, "I think we're all good. Just one more tower to go and we might be free from fighting these annoying bastards."

"Thank God," Serah muttered, slinging her rifle over her shoulder. This was certainly beginning to take a toll on the Spartan, who had also fought on Reach for quite a bit just before being transported to Albion.

They reached the second tower, and they saw the wisps just below the ceiling. Serah drew her sword, "If I were you, I'd do the same. This is going to be ugly for a few seconds." The redhead followed the Spartan's movements and they stepped on the tower's floor. The wisps circled them before going into the ground to create more Hollow Men, just like they had previously. Serah swung her sword at the incoming horde, cutting through the creatures' brittle bodies. Several satisfying cracks were heard as the sword crushed the bones of the Hollow Men, killing them again.

Amy drew her pistol and fired into the teeming mass of undead creatures, backpedaling to by herself time to reload. She didn't look behind her, however, and was struck three times in the back, making her fall onto the floor. Looking at her attacker, Amy saw it was an Armored Hollow Man, its hammers ready to crush her to a pulp. The hammers swung, and Amy closed her eyes, ready to face death.

Only it never happened. A loud clanging noise was heard, and Amy opened her eyes to see Serah blocking the hammer with her sword. All the other Hollow Men were now dead, leaving just this one left.

"Amy, get up and help me with this fucker," Serah gritted. Amy shook her head, grabbed her fallen pistol from the floor, and fired three rounds into the Armored Hollow Man's chest. The bullets went through the armor, but the undead abomination kept on coming.

Serah swung her sword at the walking dead, thrusting it backwards. She glowed silver, and twirled her sword in a Flourish attack, cutting the Hollow Man in two. The pieces fell, and Amy shot its head off with a well placed bullet.

Serah put her sword across her back, "Are you alright?"

Amy winced as she felt her back, and her hand was red with blood. Still, her vision was clearing up, her Heroic healing powers taking over.

"I…I think so," Amy replied shakily. Talk about lucky. If she was alone, she would have surely died, and the revolution would be a failure. She would have let so many people down; Walter, Jasper, Sabine and the Dwellers, the people of Bowerstone.

Serah walked forward until she was directly in front of Amy, looking into her light green eyes. She wrapped her arms around the redhead's waist, "Don't ever pretend to be okay, especially when you're not."

Amy felt her face heat up, "S-sorry."

Serah released her, motioning towards the last flight of stairs.

"There's our destination," she said with a sly grin. They walked up, entering the final room of the Reliquary.

It was a large room, with a small stool in the center. Serah spotted a small, glowing object, "I think this is it."

Amy picked it up. It was a small music box, left by her mother years ago. Upon contact with Amy, it glowed gold. They suddenly heard a new voice. A very familiar one at that.

"Well done Heroes. Now, step into the light. There is much you need to know," it whispered. A portal appeared in front of them. Amy and Serah looked at each other before stepping in, and ending up in the place where it all began, in the other dimension where the Seer resided.

_The Road to Rule_

Amy and Serah arrived in the Road to Rule, and Theresa was waiting for them. Serah then realized it was her voice they heard back in the Reliquary. The Seer began to speak again.

"Congratulations, Heroes. You have begun to unlock your potential, and there is still greater power inside of both of you. Gaining entrance to the Reliquary proves what you are. Obtaining the music box further cements that fact. Overthrowing Logan will not be an easy task, but it one you must accomplish," Theresa informed.

Amy's fist clenched in anger at the mention of the King, "I'll make him pay for what he did."

Serah was shocked at the hatred coming off of the redhead. What could have happened that Amy would swear vengeance against her own brother?

Theresa shook her head, "This is not a matter of personal vengeance. As long as your brother stays on the throne, Albion is in grave danger."

"Open the music box; it will show you the truth," she ordered. Amy and Serah opened the music box and saw a vision, a vision of a map of Albion. Circling the map was a man dressed royally, whispering, "This is my Albion. Its mountains will bend to my will or they will fall. Its cities will bow to my law, or they will burn. Its people will do as I say, or they will die."

Serah began to have an extreme hatred towards this arrogant asshole. This must be Logan. The King continued speaking, "I have seen what must be done, and nothing can stand in my way. We will be better, we will be stronger, no matter what sacrifices we must make!"

Logan leaned over the map, "This is my Albion, and I will see it destroyed before I surrender it." The vision ended, sending Amy and Serah back to the Road to Rule. Theresa was in front of them again, and she resumed talking.

"Now that you have seen the truth, you know what you must do. Go, for it is necessary to gain this first ally. Sabine is a good leader, and his people are strong," she whispered. With those last words, she left, leaving the two alone.

Their weapons glowed a bright light before fading to reveal improved weaponry, the sword and rifle looking far more deadly. Serah cast a magic spell, and that seemed to be stronger as well.

"It looks like we gained new abilities," she commented, looking at her right hand. Jasper piped up through their Guild Seals, "Please return to the Sanctuary at once."

Serah and Amy traveled to the Sanctuary, and Jasper was waiting outside the armory. He beckoned them, "If you would follow me please." They entered the armory, and on the far side were two glove-like objects.

"What are those?" Serah asked, pointing towards the objects.

"Those are called gauntlets. They're devices that channel the magic within you. Both of you can use two spells as of now; Fire and Shock. Shock stuns your enemies, while Fire as you know burns them. Choose which one you would like to have," Jasper invited.

"I'll stick with Fire for now," Amy said quietly. Serah pulled off the Fire gauntlet, "I'll use Shock. It makes sense to balance everything out a bit." She put the Shock gauntlet one, feeling the magic course through her.

They left the Sanctuary, and returned to the Road to Rule. It seems the portal was their only way out. They both stepped through, leaving the Road to Rule and back to Brightwall Academy.

_Brightwall Academy_

Serah and Amy appeared in front of the librarian, startling him. He threw his cards by mistake, "Blessed Index Cards, you made it! Oh, this calls for great rejoicing. Albion has Heroes again!"

The librarian calmed down before addressing them again, "If there is anything I can do, I'll be happy to serve."

"He's quite an unusual bloke isn't he?" Serah asked as they left Brightwall Academy and back into town.

"Well, it has been a long time since he had seen a Hero, so I can't blame him," Amy reminded. Jasper contacted them again, this time with more news.

"I knew both of you would succeed madams. I believe Walter has some information on these mercenaries that Sabine mentioned earlier. He'll be waiting outside of the pub when you're ready," he informed.

"Thanks Jasper," Amy thanked. They looked over town. Serah nudged Amy, "So, what do you want to do?" The redhead yawned, "I could use a beer and some sleep before I collapse."

"I hear you on that one," Serah agreed. They walked down the road from the Academy, heading towards the pub.

Once they got there, Walter could see the rings beginning to form around their eyes.

"You two get some sleep. I'll tell you what I found out tomorrow when you are actually awake," he told them. Serah answered with a yawn, "I'm heading to the bar for a drink."

"I'll join you," Amy murmured, brushing several strands of her red hair out of her face. Walter watched them go with a satisfied smirk.

'_I wonder if they realize it yet,' _he wondered. He wouldn't tell either of them. Not until the time was just right. For now though, they needed to rest before taking on the mercenaries of Mistpeak.

_**Save game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: Yeah, man! This chapter is so far the longest one, and this could possibly be the longest story I've ever written by the time I'm done with it. The fight against the mercenaries will probably be the next chapter, but I don't know just yet. I still have some work to do on the OC designs that I have so far. If anyone wants their OC in as a mercenary or guard, let me know in a PM. Here's the current OC list so far.**_

_**Alexander (Mercenary)**_

_**Luna (Mercenary)**_

_**I'll see you on the other side. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	4. The Mercenaries

_**A/N: I got this done sooner than I thought, and I have two of my OCs done as well (Fuck yeah!). I got Lemanruss669's OC in it, and she plays a big role eventually in this. I am surprised by the length of the chapters, but I take it that it's a whole lot better like this if I capture as much detail as possible in each chapter. *looks into sunset* I don't own Fable or Halo… (Sniffle); 343 Industries and Lionhead own the respective rights.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***The Mercenaries***

Serah pulled up a stool at the pub, "One beer please." The barmaid nodded quietly and brought the Spartan her drink. Amy sauntered next to her, "A beer as well, please."

They sat at the pub, listening to all the drunks gossiping.

"Did you hear about the Dwellers?" a man asked.

"Yeah. Another fatal ambush this week. The same kind of wounds from the previous attacks as well. Poor sods," a woman replied. Serah's ears perked up. This could be some new information that even Walter didn't hear about earlier.

"Did you hear that?" Serah whispered to Amy. The redhead nodded, black rings starting to show around her green eyes. She yawned and started to drift off. She passed out, her head falling onto the bar. Serah paid for their drinks, picked the sleeping redhead up, and went upstairs to the spare rooms.

The pub always had a few rooms upstairs in case someone was too drunk to go home that night.

'_Thank God this pub has them,' _Serah thought as she walked to the rooms with the redhead. She was light, very light. The Spartan had no problem carrying her to the bed. She placed Amy down on the bed, tucking her in a bit. Her dog Kyoki jumped right on, snuggling her way under the covers.

"You rotten dog," Serah said with a small smile. The snores of the now asleep dog answered her. Serah closed the door as she exited before heading back down to the pub.

She sat at the bar, drinking her beer. Being an attractive woman, it didn't take long for some random drunk to try and make a pass at her.

"Sooooo baby, you interested in a good time tonight?" a drunk slurred. Serah knocked back the remainder of her beer, the alcohol not having much of an effect on the Spartan. She looked directly in the man's unfocused eyes before replying firmly, "No."

He immediately started to protest, "Aw, don't be like that. I just want to have some fun with you." Serah whirled around and punched the man square in the jaw, knocking him out.

She loomed over his unconscious body, "What part of 'no' did you not fucking understand?" By this time, she was aware of several bystanders watching the spectacle. Serah relaxed and motioned to a guard outside, "Take care of this bastard will you?"

Having enough for one night, Serah walked upstairs to the spare room, opening the door as quietly as possible. Making sure she didn't wake Amy up, she crawled into the bed with her. It wasn't long before her dreams took her over.

_Several Hours Later…_

Amy blinked open her green eyes, feeling very warm. Looking next to her, she saw Serah, also asleep. The Spartan's brown hair was scattered across her face, moving slightly as she slept.

Amy wriggled out of the bed, pushing Kyoki out with her, "Come on good girl." She attempted to creep out as quietly as possible as to not wake up Serah, but the brunette woke up anyway.

"Morning," she yawned, stretching her arms out. Serah swung her legs out of the bed, standing up.

"What time is it?" Amy asked.

"About 11 in the morning. Walter is still waiting for us," Serah replied, putting on a fresh set of clothes. The Spartan grabbed her weapons, putting them across her back. She fitted her gauntlet to her hand, flexing it. A small crackle of electricity came from her hand.

"You might want to change. We have a long day ahead of us," Serah advised. Amy nodded, sighing, "It'll be my first real taste of battle, and I'm not too sure how I'll do." The redhead was clearly nervous about this fight, as she wouldn't be against evil creatures, but real humans.

Serah patted her on the back, "Don't worry so much about it. You'll do fine." Amy took a deep breath before she got changed. Serah had to pry her gaze away from the redhead's quite nice body.

After they were both changed, Amy picked up her weapons and walked downstairs to meet Walter, followed by Serah and her loyal dog.

Walter was sitting at the pub, drinking Spirits like it was nothing. He turned around to see the two Heroes, and he put down his drink.

"You two were successful then?" he asked, Serah and Amy nodded, "Yes."

Walter gave out a booming laugh, "Bloody marvelous. You'll be happy to hear I have quite a bit of information on the mercenaries Sabine mentioned. They're led by a man called Saker. He used to be a soldier, but he always had more in common with bandits and cutthroats than the military. They're holed up in a small fortress in the mountains, so it won't be easy to get in. but I have a plan." He walked out of the pub and headed upstairs, signaling for the women to follow him.

"Come with me," he urged. Serah and Amy followed him upstairs into a side table all alone. There, lying over the table was a man, clearly shitfaced, sleeping soundly.

"Who the fuck is this?" Serah asked, smelling the alcohol coming off of him.

"This is one of the mercenaries, a cold-blooded killer. His name's Clarence, but for some stupid reason everyone calls him Jimmy," Walter answered, looking at him in disgust.

"He smells like shit," Amy grumbled, wrinkling her nose.

"You can say that one again," Serah muttered.

"He was drinking in the pub all day, generally making life unpleasant for everyone. It wasn't hard getting him completely pickled. These young thugs, bloody lightweights if you ask me," Walter said, continuing to look at him in disgust.

He eventually drew his gaze from the passed out man, "Anyway, take his clothes and you'll have a free pass into their camp. Just try to not think what those stains might be."

Serah objected, "While that is a good fucking plan, I already see one major flaw."

"Oh yeah? What's that then?" Walter shot back. Serah rolled her eyes, "There's only one drunk mercenary, and two of us."

"Balls. I didn't think of that," Walter muttered, now realizing the problem.

"I think the only way we're getting in is by brute force. If anyone tries to stop us, we eliminate them," Serah proposed. Walter sighed, "We don't have any other options for this one."

Amy looked crestfallen. She didn't want to take another human's life, but now she had no other choice. Walter let his big hand fall off the table, "Well, I guess you two better get going." Serah nodded and left, eager to have a fight against something she was trained for. Amy lingered a bit, waiting to hear if Walter had any more information to give.

"Amy, this will be your first taste of real battle, but I know you'll do just fine," he said, prompting her to leave. She joined a slightly overly eager Serah, who was itching to fight.

Serah noticed the way Amy was sulking, and she gave the Princess a friendly nudge, "You nervous?"

"Yeah, a bit," Amy replied, running a hand through her red hair. She faced the Spartan, "Were you ever nervous about a fight?"

Serah thought carefully before answering, "I was nervous at first, but after a while I got used to it. It was what I was trained to do, so I put it behind me and looked ahead."

She gave the redhead another friendly tap, "Liven up. After this we can have some fun and we won't have to think about it so much."

"I guess you're right," Amy sighed. She straightened up, "We should get a damn move on then."

"That's more like it," Serah said with a smirk. They walked out of Brightwall, crossing the bridge. They continued down the path, following it into the mountains the mercenaries called home.

_Mistpeak_

Serah stood at the entrance to Mistpeak, not shivering so much, "It isn't as fucking cold on this side."

Amy smiled, "Yeah, it's actually somewhat comfortable." She looked ahead, and saw a wolf pack ahead. Before she could alert Serah, the Spartan already had her rifle out and was targeting the wolves.

"Time to say goodbye you ugly bastards," she muttered, lining up the sights. Serah squeezed the trigger four times, and two wolves fell, dead. Their blood pooled on the ground, staining it crimson.

There was only the pack leader left, and Amy hit it with her pistol, the bullets piercing its flesh. A pained howl escaped the wolf before the last shot killed it. Amy twirled her pistol on her fingers before holstering it again, "How about them apples?"

Serah faced her with a smirk, "Are we having a little competition?"

"Only if you want," Amy replied slyly. Serah's eyebrows rose, "Are you hinting at something~?" Amy shrugged, "Possibly."

"Don't tease me," Serah warned. Amy chuckled, "Oh, you want me to do worse than that?"

"Later," Serah answered. She pointed at the path to the right, which went through woods, "Right now we have something to do." Serah led the way through the path, on the alert for an ambush. Surprisingly, they didn't come across one.

"What the fuck? Are they having a day off or something?" Serah muttered, not finding a single enemy in the trees. Amy poked around in the shrubs, "Nothing here either."

They continued down the path, walking down one of the smaller hills. Up ahead, Serah could see a structure in the distance. She pointed at it, "I wonder what that is?"

They walked down the hill, and at the base they saw what the building was. It was the Mercenary Camp, and it was well defended. On both sides of the massive wooden gate were two sniper outposts, although one of them was empty.

The sniper in the tower to the left spotted the Heroes and opened fire, trying to hit them. Serah stood still as the bullets missed her completely, "Wow he has really shitty aim."

Amy laughed, even though bullets were whizzing by her as well, "A baby has better aim than that."

Serah smirked and looked through her rifle, lining up the sights. Once she had the sniper's head in view, she pulled the trigger, and a single shot rang out. The sniper's body slumped over and fell from the tower, dead.

"Nice shot," Amy complimented. Serah put her rifle across her back, "All in a day's work."

They crossed the stream in front of the base, their boots getting a bit wet in the process.

Serah looked at the wooden gate, raised her foot, and kicked it in, the wood splintering beneath the Spartan's true Sparta kick.

"This is Sparta motherfucker!" Serah yelled as the gate crashed down.

"That was really quiet," Amy said sarcastically.

"Oh well, it was the only solution. Anyways, let's go find the annoying ass fucktard Saker," Serah said, entering the camp with Amy trailing.

_Mercenary Camp_

Serah and Amy were now in the Mercenary Camp, and their jaws dropped. A vast majority of the camp was empty, with only a few mercenaries out and about.

"Where the fuck is everybody?" Serah asked, looking around. Unfortunately, because she spoke too loud, all the mercenaries in the area did hear her, and were drawing their weapons.

A mercenary, covered in tattoos, stepped forward, "Who are you!? Identify yourself!"

_This moron must be in charge of this lot then,' _Serah mused. She held her sword, ready to fight.

"I'm Lieutenant Serah, and you're about to die," Serah growled. The mercenary was stunned for a moment, and his hesitation cost him as Serah cut him in two.

"Now!" she ordered, calling for Amy to join her. The Princess began fighting, using her sword to parry most of the attacks.

"Well well, you look a little lost girlie. Let me show you home," a mercenary sneered at the redhead. Amy spun around, kicking the sword from his hand. Before he could regain his weapon, Amy stabbed him through the chest, "I'd like to see you try, asshole."

Serah parried a blow from a newer mercenary, no older than twenty years old. The Spartan grabbed his wrist, twisted, and broke it. The man dropped his sword, clutching his wrist in agony. He looked up as the brunette stabbed his heart. He fell over, dead.

"That was too easy," the Spartan scoffed. She was used to fighting aliens taller than her wielding weapons that burned anything they hit; flesh, armor, concrete, anything. Whooping some twenty year old kid's ass was simply not much of a challenge.

Amy, however, was not used to fighting as much as the Spartan was, and it showed. She was still a little too hesitant; that could cost her eventually.

"Don't hesitate; that only gives your enemy the advantage of striking first," Serah advised. The redhead nodded at her advice and changed tactics, going from defense to offense. And my, oh my, how the Princess changed.

Her brutality went up several notches, as she knocked several mercenaries down before stabbing them in the chest. Blood began to fly up and stain Amy's clothes a dark crimson.

She pulled her sword out from a now dead body, wiping the blood off before spitting at the body.

"Don't ever fuck with me," Amy hissed, her green eyes blazing. Serah was impressed, "Now that was what I call a good fight."

Amy put her sword across her back, "Let's find that fucker Saker." Serah followed the redhead, looking out for any more enemies. They rounded a corner in the base when Serah forced Amy down, "Duck!"

A pair of shots went through the air the redhead was occupying just a second before. Serah pulled out her rifle as she dove behind a pile of sandbags. She loaded the gun before taking her aim.

The Spartan placed the first sniper's head in the center of the sights, and she squeezed the trigger. A shot rang out and the sniper was dead, with a hole the size of a quarter in his head.

"Headshot bitches~!" Serah crowed in satisfaction. She went to kill the other sniper, only to see Amy was busying unloading a clip into his chest. The body jerked several times as the bullets struck.

"That is what you get, traitor," Amy growled before holstering her pistol. Serah sauntered over, "Damn, you sure as hell showed him."

Amy looked at her, "It's like you said. Don't let the enemy get the first strike. Kill them before they kill you."

They walked along the path, still on the alert. The sounds of the previous engagement were quite loud, and the Spartan knew from past experience that there were always more reinforcements. Whether or not they showed up was a different story.

The path went up a small hill, winding around. Serah saw several cages, and the contents made her groan, "Not again."

The mercenaries unlocked the cages, and the wolves jumped out, snarling. Saliva dripped from their jaws, and Serah put her sword through one of their bodies. A small howl was heard as the wolf died in her hands, and the mercenaries tried to shoot her to no avail. Amy whirled around, drew her pistol, and put a bullet through each of their heads.

"Ding dong, motherfucker, ding dong!" Serah said with a smirk. The path was now clear, at least this part was. They rounded another corner, and the path was surrounded by woods on both sides. They didn't get far before they heard a new, unfamiliar voice filled with slight amusement.

"I must say, I'm rather impressed that you came this far. I didn't expect those useless pigs to die so easily," it said. The owner of the voice was male, and it was clearly watching them.

Serah drew her sword, looking around for the owner of the voice.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" she said angrily, her eyes darting left and right.

"Gladly," the voice replied. A young man jumped down from the trees, forcing the Spartan and Princess to back up.

The man was young, around twenty-two, with blonde hair about medium length. His left eye was covered by a bandana, and his right eye was an emerald green. He wore a black male mercenary uniform, complete with top, boots, pants, and gloves. On his hip there was a pistol with a scope on the side, making the two women wary. In his hands was a black katana, still in its sheath.

Serah pointed her sword at his throat, "Get the fuck out of my way before I gut you."

The man put his hands up, "Woah, woah, calm the fuck down. Perhaps I can maybe assist you in a way." His tone was silk smooth.

"Where is Saker?" Serah asked, though it was more of a growl. The man started to laugh lightly.

"Of all the things you want to know, you ask the one thing I can't answer," he said in slight amusement. Serah started to seethe, "You little arrogant son of a bitch!"

Amy put a hand on Serah's shoulder, "Let me try talking to him." Serah complied with her suggestion and stepped aside. Amy stepped forward until she was directly in front of the blonde. She faced him in the eye before speaking.

"We are looking for Captain Saker. Can you tell me his location at all?" Amy asked calmly. To her dismay, the man shook his head.

"Sorry, but that is one thing I cannot tell you. Also, I can't let you pass this point," he said. After his last words, he got into a fighting stance, "However, if one of you can defeat me in battle, not only will I show you where Saker is, I'll help you in any way you need me to."

"Deal," Amy approved. She faced him, and drew her sword, "Swords only. No guns."

The man laughed again, "I figured you'd say that." He placed his pistol on the ground, along with Amy. The two walked away from each other before getting into their stances.

"Begin," the man invited. Amy narrowed her eyes, and she leaped forward, striking first. The man blocked it before countering, quickly striking and sheathing so fast that even Serah couldn't keep up.

'_Holy shit! He's fast, too fast! Even I can't strike at that speed!' _she thought in a panic. Amy tried to strike, only to see her attacks get blocked effortlessly.

"Fuck!" she yelled out in frustration. In all her life training, she had never fought against anyone with this kind of speed. It was so unnatural. Almost Hero-like.

The man blocked another attack, spun around to sheathe his sword before striking again, his attacks blindingly fast. After counter after counter, Amy decided to use her magic, her hand glowing orange.

"Take this!" she shouted angrily, launching a wave of fire at the man. He raised his sword and blocked it.

"Not bad, but you'll have to do better!" he said through gritted teeth. He sheathed his sword, absorbing the Fire magic in his weapon. Amy dashed forward to strike, only to watch as the man unsheathed his sword and swung, the Fire magic going back at her.

Amy screamed as the flames hit her, "MOTHERFUCKER!" She fell to the ground, the blast taking her out of the fight. She could barely stand, as that last attack hit her badly.

"You win," she growled reluctantly. Serah stepped forward, "I guess it's up to me then." She too placed her rifle on the ground before drawing her sword. The man brushed the dirt off of himself before getting ready again, "Shall we begin?"

Serah twirled her sword in her hand before striking, watching as the man parried the blow. He slid his blade down, catching her handle. He pushed her sword up away from him before striking and sheathing the weapon again, still as fast as ever.

Amy had struggled to her feet, the wounds smoldering on her body. Luckily, her Heroic healing powers had kicked in, and the wounds were starting to fade, her strength coming back by the second.

Serah growled angrily as the man continued to parry every single one of her attacks. Getting furious, she spun him around before hitting him with her Shock spell. The man didn't have a chance to absorb the magic, and he tried to block it to no avail. The spell hit him, throwing him into a tree. His sword fell out of his hands, and he slumped, his shoulder wounded.

He looked up as Serah pointed her blade at his throat. He gave a small smile, "You win."

He got up, grabbed his sword before walking over to the place his pistol laid. He holstered it before waving them along, "Come on, I'll show you to Saker."

Amy groaned, flexing her wounded arm. Serah bounded over to her, "Are you alright?" Amy nodded, looking extremely crestfallen.

"I'm sorry. I didn't do well," she said sadly, looking down on the ground. Serah raised a hand to her cheek, "Don't beat yourself up about it. He was too fast, and he can block our magic."

The man gave a small cough, "Can you two ladies please hurry up?"

Serah rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure." The two women caught up with him, and he led them along the path, until they reached what appeared to be a massive fighting ring of sorts. He pushed open the gates, "Quick, follow me."

It was a fighting ring, and standing in the middle was a massive man. He was at least a good seven feet tall, easily dwarfing the blonde man the two women had just fought. The tall man looked at the blonde and the two women with gleam of contempt in his eyes.

"Leave them; they're mine!" he ordered. This must be Saker. He pulled on his cigar.

"You two have left quite the trail of bodies. You're not some of Sabine's Dwellers, that's for damn sure. But you'll die like them," he said angrily. Saker jumped down into the ring, swinging his massive fists at Amy. She rolled out of the way, wincing as her wounds were still sore. She drew her pistol and fired, hitting him in the side.

Several other mercenaries jumped into the arena to fight, and Serah started to fight them. She parried their blows before slashing their abdomens open, blood gushing out like a fountain. To her surprise, the blonde man was also fighting against the mercenaries, unsheathing, striking and quickly sheathing his sword in a series of rapid movements. Even with a wounded shoulder, his speed was still untouchable.

"Why are you fighting with us?" Serah asked. The blonde looked over at her, "I can't answer that now, as we're badly outnumbered."

Amy continued to roll out of Saker's way, unloading full clips into his immense body.

"Why won't you die already!?" she asked angrily, dodging another power-packed punch. Finally, she drew her sword and swung at him, catching Saker just under the ribs. The leader of the mercenaries fell to his knees, defeated.

"Stop, you've won. This battle is yours. Kill me or let me live, it's your choice, and my men will honor it. We might be nothing but mercenaries, but we have our codes, like any other soldiers. We'll leave the Dwellers be, no matter what you do. That is a warrior's promise," he said hoarsely. Amy looked over at Serah, "What do you think we should do?"

The Spartan walked right in front of Saker. She slapped the fallen warrior, knocking his cigar out of his mouth before extending her hand. Saker looked up, grabbed his cigar, and took Serah's hand, rising to his feet.

Saker was relieved, "Thank you, I won't ever forget this. Let the strangers go!"

A portal appeared in front of Serah and Amy, calling them back to the Road to Rule.

_The Road to Rule_

Serah and Amy arrived at the Road to Rule, Theresa waiting for them. The Seer began to speak.

"Sparing Saker has won the support of his followers. Word is already being spread of your strength, and your compassion," she whispered before fading away. Serah and Amy's weapons glowed before fading to reveal more advanced weaponry. Serah's sword had a flame handle, as well as her rifle. Amy's pistol had the flame handle while her sword had a very fancy looking hilt, almost like a cutlass.

Serah casted a magic spell into the air. That too was much stronger than before, "Sweet! We got more power now!"

They left the Road to Rule to return to the sight of their first major victory together.

_Mercenary Camp_

Serah and Amy were back in the Mercenary Camp, to see that the blonde man from earlier was still waiting.

"The fuck are you still here for?" Serah asked gruffly. The blonde chuckled, "You are never going to lose that sharp tongue of yours, are you?"

"Why are you here!?" Serah was getting fed up with the blonde, thinking of many ways to kick his ass.

The man kneeled in front of them, his right hand over his heart, "My name is Alexander, madam, and I did promise that I will assist you in any way I can, no matter what the issue is."

"He did say that earlier," Amy pointed out. Serah huffed, "Fine, you can come. But I swear to God, if you backstab us, I'll kill you myself." She walked away, still fuming.

"She's really not all that friendly, is she?" Alex commented, flexing his shoulders.

"Don't worry; it's just that she doesn't trust you all that much," Amy explained. Alex shrugged, "Shit, if I was her, I wouldn't trust me either."

"Please, you think way too much of yourself," a new female voice scoffed. Alex sighed, "I know you're there, Luna." Amy was confused until a female with long blue/black hair jumped down, her green eyes glimmering. Across her back was a sword and rifle. She wore the female mercenary uniform top, with a pair of male mercenary trousers and boots.

"Alex, you are, without a doubt, one of the most self-loving people I know," Luna continued. Alex rolled his eye, "Gee, I love you too." The sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable. It earned him a slap from the female merc.

"Who told you to answer?" Luna asked dryly. Alex rubbed his jaw, muttering, "Has anyone told you that you pack quite the punch?"

"Yes, many times Alex," Luna answered. Amy watched the two bicker like a married couple. Finally, Serah called them, "Amy! Get Blondie and his girlfriend and drag their asses over here!"

Amy sighed, got hold of Alex's arm, and proceeded to drag him towards the Spartan. He protested, "What did I do this time!?" Luna didn't need much persuading to join them, as she would go wherever Alex went.

"Luna, why do you always stick around me?" Alex asked, freeing himself from Amy's grasp. He walked with the redhead towards the Spartan, who was waiting for them at the foot of the hill.

"Jesus fucking Christ. It took you long enough," Serah grumbled, her arms folded across her chest. Alex scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, sorry about that. This one over here kept me from joining you." He motioned over to Luna, who began to reach for her sword, "WHAT did you just say!?"

Alex ignored the angry black/blue haired woman, "Anyway, what do you need me to do?"

Serah motioned over to Amy, "That's the Princess, in case you didn't know. I'm a Lieutenant in the military, and we are Heroes, as we can use magic. Also, we're starting a revolution."

At hearing the redhead was the Princess; Alex bowed in apology, "Sorry for wounding you so much in our battle, your Majesty." Amy brushed it off, "Don't make a fuss out of it."

Serah cleared her throat, "Since we're starting a revolution against Logan, we need all the allies we can get. Will you join us?"

Alex shrugged, "Sure. I have nothing else better to do. Plus, I did swear I'll help no matter what the situation was."

Luna sighed, "I'm not letting this moron go off and kill himself. I guess I'll join too."

Serah nodded, "Good. We'll take you with us to Brightwall." The two mercenaries looked nervous at going into town, but they still followed them without complaint. Suddenly, Serah stopped. She faced Amy.

"Wait a minute. Instead of having to walk who knows how far, maybe we can use the map in the Sanctuary to take us to Brightwall," Serah suggested. Amy looked unsure.

"I don't know. What if it doesn't work because we have other people with us?" she asked. Serah admitted the redhead did bring up a good concern. Still, she decided to try anyway, "Come on; we'll know if it worked afterwards."

The two Heroes traveled to the Sanctuary and went to the map, selecting Brightwall as their destination.

_Brightwall _

Serah and Amy landed in Brightwall, with Luna and Alex with them as well. Although the mercenaries didn't fare the best.

"I officially hate fast travel," Alex grumbled, holding his side. Suddenly, Jasper's voice rang from Serah and Amy's Guild Seals, freaking out Luna a bit.

"I knew you would succeed madams. Your first victory in battle as a team. I'm no expert on combat, but seeing as you are both still alive, I say you did well. Please return to Brightwall at once, as Sir Walter is waiting for you in the pub. I swear, he's gotten too bloody attached to the place," Jasper informed. Upon hearing a random voice come out of nowhere, Luna jumped back, "Who the hell is that!?"

It didn't take long for her to calm down, and they continued on their way to the pub, to meet Walter again.

_**Save game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: I got this one done too! There are several references in this chapter, including quotes from ERBOH: Leonidas vs. MC, Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, and RWBY. If anyone can name them, then kudos to you! Remember, if you want an OC for a guard or mercenary, message me and I'll see what I can do. I'll see you on the other side. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	5. Followers and Leaders Part 1

_**A/N: Whoop whoop! I'm back with another chapter of this, and it will most likely be broken down into two parts, as I seriously don't feel like writing a ten thousand word chapter. Ain't anybody got time for that! I might have to replay 'Fable 3', although I don't want to. I'm trying to get as close to the in-game dialogue as possible, but since this fanfic has a couple of more characters, I can't be perfect. Ah well. Me no owns Fable or Halo; 343 Industries and Lionhead Studios are the rightful owners. *Sad sigh***_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***Followers and Leaders Part 1***

Serah and Amy led the two mercenaries through town to the pub. Suddenly, they all heard Alex groan, "Oh fuck me."

Amy turned around, "What's the matter?"

Alex pointed at a poster hanging up. It was a wanted poster, with a picture of him and a ten thousand gold reward, "I knew this might happen." Luna brushed past it, ignoring the poster.

Serah leaned over to Amy, "You know, the fact it looks exactly like him is a bit scary."

Alex continued looking at the poster, shaking his head, "Why does it have everything nearly perfect?"

Seeing that everyone else had lost interest, they continued through Brightwall until they reached the pub. Figuring Walter would be waiting for them upstairs like last time, they walked up the stairs and there he was, having a drink. To their surprise, he was not alone. The old librarian was also there, drinking away.

Walter looked up as Amy and Serah entered. He laughed heartily, "Ah, there you are! We were just talking about you two! Good job on dealing with Saker and his mercenaries…" He trailed off as he saw they were not alone. He was on his guard upon seeing the newcomers. Especially since a certain blond male looked suspicious.

"Who are you!?" Walter demanded, rising up from the table. Alex didn't flinch, "I'm one of Saker's former mercenaries, Alexander." Walter stiffened when the blonde casually announced that he used to be with Saker, "You worked with that traitor!?"

Alex sighed, "I used too. But, since these two lovely women managed to defeat me in combat, I left to assist them on their quest." He jerked his thumb towards Luna, "And she's with me as well."

Walter shook his head, "Anyways, like I was saying, good job on the fight. The Dwellers will be pleased to hear that they won't be a problem anymore."

The librarian murmured, "Of course. No one has suffered more than they." Alex started to whistle innocently upon hearing this. Luna rewarded him with a smack, "You moron."

Walter continued talking to Amy and Serah, who were ignoring the fact that Alex was rubbing his jaw and cursing Luna under his breath, "I've been telling Samuel here about the terrible situation they're in. he thinks he might be able to help."

Samuel stuttered a bit, "Well, perh- I mean of course. Although, just as I was telling Sir Walter here, Brightwall has no overabundance of supplies itself. The King's levies are rather steep, and we face shortages more often than comfortable."

Walter encouraged the librarian to continue, "But…"

Samuel picked up, "But, if you two were to help around Brightwall, I'm sure the people would be most grateful. And when they're grateful, they're also charitable. I'm sure they would find it in their hearts to send aid to those poor people."

Walter beamed proudly, "There you two have it. The way I see it, we're going to need all the followers we can get if the rebellion is going to be successful. What better time to start?"

Amy and Serah nodded and left, followed by the two former mercenaries. Walter called them back though. "Newcomers, come back here. I want to talk."

Alex sighed, "Goddammit." He didn't say much more as Luna elbowed him in the ribs, signaling for him to shut up. She looked back to the Heroes, "Don't worry; we'll be back."

Amy and Serah stepped out of the pub, and stood in the middle of the town square.

"So, what do we do now?" Serah asked. Her question was answered by Jasper.

"I heartily agree with Sir Walter. Pardon me for overhearing. But, the 'Book of Heroes' has just shown how the map can be useful in this situation. Please return to the Sanctuary at once," he said. The two focused their Will and transported themselves to the Sanctuary.

_The Sanctuary_

Amy and Serah arrived, and Jasper was waiting for them, hovering over the map in the center of the main room.

Without looking up, the butler began to speak again, "Now, according to the book, the map can also show you which people are in need of help. A particularly good feature if you need to gain followers, I might add."

Serah looked over the map, zooming in on Brightwall. She pointed, "That one is the closest." Amy brushed herself off, "Let's go then." They selected the location, and they were sent back into the village.

_Brightwall_

Amy and Serah were back in Brightwall, although they were in a completely different spot from before. They were on the other side of the bridge, on the outskirts of town. Serah pointed to a woman standing at the end of the bridge, "There's the person."

The woman was young, and she looked extremely distraught. Serah walked over to her, "What seems to be the matter miss?"

The woman started crying, "It's my little girl! She always goes off playing some silly adventure game, but she always comes back! It's been more than two hours! Please, find her!"

Serah nodded, "No problem miss. We'll find her." She spun on her heel and went back to Amy, "That woman's daughter is missing. My bet is that she's lost in the mountains somewhere."

"Let's get a move on then," Amy muttered, turning away from Brightwall. They both looked over the town once more before entering the mountains.

_Mistpeak_

Amy and Serah looked over at the vast territory they had to search. The Spartan looked over to the Princess, "I think we should not bother looking over there." She pointed in the direction of the Mercenary Camp. Amy tilted her head, "Why not?"

Serah rolled her eyes, "I seriously doubt anyone, even a child, is daft enough to go to a place where they will be killed without a moment's hesitation."

Amy shrugged, "Fair point."

Serah continued, "I think we should check some of these mountain caverns. If I were an explorer, I'd head there."

They headed in the opposite direction, up towards the Dweller Camp. Amy shivered as the wind whipped around her, dusting the redhead with snow, "It's way too fucking cold for this."

Serah tried to ignore the uneasy creaks the wooden bridges made when they walked across them, "I hear you on that. And would someone please rebuild this damn bridge!"

Amy and Serah only had to cross one bridge when they came across a cavern. It was massive, and they could tell it when on for quite a while. Serah stood at the entrance, "I really sure as fuck hope this is it, and we don't have to go any farther in this freezing ass weather. They both left the harsh climate and entered the caverns in search of the missing girl.

_Chillbreath Caverns_

Amy and Serah were now inside, and the Princess looked around at their surroundings. Huge spikes of stone _**(A/N: I have no fucking clue what those are called…)**_ came from the ground and ceiling. If anything got impaled on those, they were fucked.

Serah whistled at the sight of them, "I bet anything those are sharp as a motherfucker."

Amy walked along the path that cut through the cavern, "Well, there is a trail. I guess we should follow it." They followed the path around several bends, descending farther into the caverns.

"You know, it isn't anywhere near as cold in here as it is outside," Serah commented. Amy stopped; she too noticed the difference. It wasn't warm by any standards, but the Spartan was right in saying it wasn't as cold.

They continued walking along the path until Serah stopped, "I think I can hear something." She signaled for Amy to be quiet and listen. The redhead paused, and she heard it too. A little girl was crying, "Help me, please!"

Serah ran towards the source of the distress call, "Let's go!" Amy ran after her, trying to find the lost girl. They ran for a few minutes before they found her, huddled up in a small corner. The girl looked up the Heroes with a pleading look. "Please take me back! There's so many of them, and they're so scary! Please take me back to Mummy!"

Serah tried to reassure the frightened girl, "Don't worry. Your mother is worried about you." Amy took hold of the girl's hand and began to lead her out of the caverns.

Suddenly the girl shrieked in fright. Whirling around, Amy saw a pack of wolves. They were hiding in one of the small dens in the wall, and she called over to Serah, "Take care of them! I'll protect the girl!"

The Spartan nodded, drew her rifle, and began to pick the wolves bit by bit. Since her gun was stronger, it only took about two shots to kill a single wolf. As a result, it took only two four round clips to completely wipe out the pack. Seeing all targets were dead, Serah put her rifle across her back, "You're all clear."

Serah walked ahead of Amy, on the lookout for anymore wolves. It didn't take long before another pack came across. Serah called back to Amy, "Wait until I kill the buggers off!"

Amy took the girl and hid behind a rock jutting out of the ground, watching as the Spartan began to kill the pack. Serah didn't even bother using her rifle. This time, she used her magic, the Shock spell stunning the wolves before killing them. The alpha tried to tackle her to the ground, hoping for a lethal bite. Instead, Serah blasted it with a well aimed Shock spell, the electric current running through its body. The wolf fell, fried to death.

Amy wrinkled her nose at the scent of burnt fur, "Anyone wants an extra crispy wolf to eat?"

"Naw, I'm good," Serah laughed, motioning for them to come out. Th two emerged from hiding, with the girl asking, "Are you here to take me home?"

Amy smiled at the girl, "Yes."

They continued on the path, on the alert for more wolf packs. Thankfully, they didn't come across any, and they emerged from the cave back into the sunlight.

_Mistpeak_

"We made it out of the cave. Brilliant," the girl said in relief. Amy tugged on her hand, "Come on little one; we're almost there."

Serah continued ahead, and she spotted a pair of wolves on the other side of the bridge.

"Amy, wait. We have some company to take care of," she warned, pulling out her rifle. Amy sighed, "Alright. I'll wait until you have your fun."

Serah smirked, sniping the wolves. Several pained yelps were heard from the creatures, then silence.

Serah put her rifle away, pleased with her shooting prowess, "I got skills~."

Amy caught up with the Spartan, the girl keeping up, "I spy with my little eye, something that begins with… S."

Serah looked around, "Snow?" The girl clapped, "Yay! You guess right!"

'_Kinda easy considering the only thing for miles is snow,' _Amy wanted to point out, but the youthful innocence of the girl stopped her from saying those words out loud.

They walked down the bridges, ignoring the creaks. Well, two of them did anyway.

"For God's sake, fix the bloody things!" Serah grumbled, quiet enough for the girl to not hear.

They came down the mountain, and proceeded on their way back into town to let the girl's mother she was alright.

_Brightwall_

They entered the outskirts of Brightwall. The day was drawing to a close, as the quest took a while to complete. It still wasn't done. Not until the girl's mother knew her daughter was safe.

The girl spotted her mother by the bridge leading into Brightwall. She ran towards her, "There's my Mum! Mummy, Mummy!"

The girl's mother wiped away her tears and picked her up, "Oh my goodness, I was so worried." She looked at Amy and Serah, bowing gratefully, "I can't than you ever enough, both of you. I'm forever in your debt."

Serah watched the two leave, "We saved a little girl from danger and brought her safely back to her mother. This seriously couldn't have gone any better." Amy had to agree with her. This was the best ending to this little adventure they could've hoped for.

Serah nudged Amy, "Let's go see if we need to help anymore people." They both travelled to the Sanctuary, and poured over the map again. Amy pointed to a pair of people outside of Brightwall Academy, "Let's go see what they need."

Serah gave a small grin, "Why not?"

They travelled to the location, where there were two men dressed up. Serah leaned over, "What the bloody hell are they wearing?" The outfits chosen by the two men were, um, peculiar, to say the least.

"I think it's for a play of some sort," Amy whispered back. One of the men bowed elegantly before her, "My dear ladies, who live in such troubled times. Do you perhaps want to laugh at the great comedies and cry over epic tragedies?"

"I'm already looking at one," Serah muttered, and it was hard for Amy to not laugh. The man either didn't hear the Spartan's comment, or didn't care. He continued talking, "There is a great play, created by Philip Morley. It is the lost play, and we're hoping you can find it. Are you willing to take this quest?"

Serah shrugged, "Why not? How hard can it be to find a bloody play?"

The man's face lit up, "So you'll find the lost play? Oh, and you might need to find Ransom Locke. He's a detective of sorts, and he went looking for the play too. Although he never came back."

Serah coughed, "Wait, what!?"

Amy pushed her along, "Come on! Let's get a move on!" They entered Brightwall Academy, not sure as what to expect.

_Brightwall Academy_

The Heroes stepped inside, still as empty as ever. Amy spotted a door down the hall, "We never went down there before." Serah entered, "We did now."

Amy sighed and shook her head. After they opened the door, they saw the hallway continued. They went to go through the doorway, only for the door to close in front of them. An eerie voice spoke, "Turn back now, mortal one."

Amy rolled her eyes, "Really funny." She pushed it open and continued down until they reached the next door, and that too shut in their faces, with the same voice speaking, "Stay away from this accursed place."

"Okay, this is starting to piss me off slightly," Serah grumbled, forcing the door open. The hallway ended to reveal a room, with books flying around, almost like it was haunted. The voice sent them another warning, "Only death and insanity await you."

Amy spotted a book on a stand, "There's the stupid play." Serah rolled her eyes, "Let's grab it and get the fuck out of here before I shoot something. They reached for the book, and the voice yelled. "Don't pick it up!"

Ignoring it, the Heroes picked the book up anyway, and the voice tried one last time to warn them, "No, really I'm serious."

Amy and Serah flipped through the pages. The book glowed, and a ghost's head popped out, looking quite irritated. Serah jumped back as the head began to tell them off, "You lot just can't leave well alone, can you? Bloody literary tourists, bane of my afterlife!"

The head disappeared back into the book, and suddenly Amy and Serah were thrown into the book.

"What the fuck is this!?" Serah yelled before hitting something hard.

When the Heroes came to, they were in a much different place, with the pissed off ghost standing right in front of them. He raised a finger at them, "Listen to me; you are not getting my lost play. It's rubbish, worse than rubbish! Oh, what the bloody hell was I thinking, mixing tragedy and comedy? I must've been off my rocker!"

The ghost vanished, leaving them alone. Well, not exactly alone. A man in a detective hat stood up from a bench and began to talk to them, "It would seem, my dear ladies, that you have been apprehended by the ghost of Philip Morley."

Serah got up angrily, "Who the hell are you!?"

The man took off his cap, "I am Ransom Locke. If the name sounds familiar, it is because I am a detective of some renown. Yet here I am, ready to live the rest of my days, trapped in a book."

Ransom walked towards what appeared to be a play stage, "I believe this is a scene from Morley's romantic great, 'The Near-Tragedy of Oliver and Ethel'. I also believe if we are to escape, then we must act out the scene. Acting, however, has never been my forte."

Serah put her hands up, "Don't look at me. I fucking suck at acting too."

Amy sighed, "So I have to do it then?" Serah offered a weak smile, "Sorry, but unless you want me to fuck up majorly and cause us to die, then yes, it is up to you."

Amy ran a hand through her red hair, "Here it goes."

Ransom picked up a small book. It was the script of the play, with detailed instructions. He read them aloud, "Put on this costume, and it should set things in motion." Amy put on the costume, and the play began.

A ghost appeared in front of Amy, and began to spout romantic rubbish towards her. "Oh Ethel, my light, my sun, my love. Show me on ounce of your affection, and I may find this gray existence worth living." Amy was confused, and Ransom began to speak helpful advice, "Ah, a classic moment in the play. You are Ethel, the beautiful young daughter of a dung merchant. Show Oliver that you love him, and we may be able to leave this scene."

Amy took a deep breath, kneeled down in front of the ghost, and confessed, "My heart is yours, my love."

The ghost began applauding happily, "Oh, this is wonderful! We shall elope out tomorrow, my little ferret, to seek out our lives in wondrous joy!"

The scene ended, with Serah whistling, "You got some skills there!"

Ransom agreed with the Spartan, "A tremendous performance I must say." The ghost of Philip Morley appeared alongside the detective, "Hmm, I see you are gifted with remarkable literary cunning. But, can you preside over the more subtle domains of theatre?"

The scene faded away, and was replaced by a new one. This time, the costume was a chicken suit. Serah laughed as she saw it, "Oh man! Now I can call you Chicken Girl!" Amy rolled her eyes, "Very funny."

Ransom began to explain the play, "This is a scene from one of Morley's earlier, funnier plays: Bloodbath at the Royal Court. The role of the Fool is one filled with tragic depth. It will require a masterful performance." Amy put on the chicken suit, ignoring the snickers from the Spartan. The play then began.

Amy sat in the throne, prompting the ghost of a king to appear, and he looked quite cross, "What fresh insolence is this? Out of my throne, you impertinent buffoon. T'is a troublesome time for this court, and my crown grows heavy. So make me laugh, or I shall have your head!"

Amy froze, thinking of ways to make the king laugh, and not die by failing. She walked up to the king, and started to tickle him, "I'm gonna get you~!"

The king held his sides, "Oh stop, it's too funny!" He straightened up, "I believe I'm now in the mood to meet with those foreign delegates. I think I shall only behead half of them."

Serah coughed, "_Only _half of them?"

Ransom was applauding Amy's skills again, "My, what a spectacle that was!" Philip Morley appeared beside him again, thinking, "Hmmm, I see you handle my royal dramas as well as my romances. But, are you truly capable of comprehending my work? We shall see." With that, the scene changed once more, turning into a gladiator ring.

Ransom looked worried, "Oh dear. Unless I'm mistaken, this is the final scene in Morley's notoriously violent historical epic, 'Titus the Mutilator: Part 2'. Which means this is the gladiatorial ring from Act V, when Titus is finally slaughtered by savage warriors seeking revenge. A favorite scene of mine as a child, I must admit." He looked over to the costume stand. It appeared to be a mercenary uniform, "And this is Titus' famous costume. I had some pajamas just like it. Put it on, and you shall take the greatest roll of your life."

Amy put on the mercenary costume, not sure as what to expect. An angry looking ghost was kinda predictable. It began a hate-filled speech, "Titus! Thy pox-membered body shall pay for thy monstrous villainy. My son lies dead because of you. Now shall revenge be mine, cold as your corpse and all the more flavorsome for it."

Ransom offered little help, "Do try to make your demise, um, convincing."

At this point, the ghosts of numerous mercenaries surrounded Amy. She pulled out her sword, "I think an alternate ending is in effect." She sliced at the closest mercs, blood spraying from the wounds. One tried to strike her, and time slowed down. She parried, spun, and slashed through his chest, blood gushing out. As the body fell to the ground, the ghost of the soldier appeared again.

"More of my kin lie slain, and yet you live! You have breathed your last sulfur scented breath Titus!" it growled, furious. More ghost mercenaries appeared, and they too began to fall to the redhead's sword. One stood for a moment, shocked, and Amy used her acrobatic techniques. She went into a handstand, and launched herself, landing neatly on the merc's shoulders. He didn't even have time to scream as Amy snapped his neck with her knees, the body falling in a heap.

"Did you see that!?" on mercenary exclaimed before a bullet struck him in the head. When all was said and done, over a dozen mercenaries were killed by the redhead's hands. The ghost of the soldier appeared once more, defeat in his eyes.

"All my kin dead, my revenge denied, my world undone! I cannot stand to live one second more," he growled. The play ended, with the loudest applause coming from Ransom and Serah.

Ransom was extremely happy, "A tremendous performance! That's just the ending I wanted to see when I was a young boy attending the theatre every week. I wonder what scene will follow now."

"There so better not be another," Serah muttered in irritation.

The ghost of Philip Morley appeared again, "Oh what scene could possibly follow such a masterful rendition of my work? The way you improvised some of those scenes, you brought new life to my work. I stand in awe. You have earned the prize no mortal has ever been rewarded with: my missing play. I entrust it to you, for I know you will do it justice. I call it 'The Ham Sandwich'. A metaphorical title, of course." The ghost faded away, and in his place was the missing play.

Serah grabbed it, "Fucking finally!" She turned to Amy, "Thanks to you, we got this back. Good job on your acting." Amy blushed at the praise.

The scene faded away, and they were back in town, where they belonged.

_Brightwall_

Amy and Serah arrived in front of Brightwall Academy, and the two actors were still waiting. When they saw Ransom, they began to get their hopes up.

The one on the right began to speak, "I see you have retrieved our lost detective. And by any chance, have you found the lost play?"

Amy tossed it to him, "Here you go." The actor on the left began cheering, "We're saved Lampert!"

Lampert bowed, "Oh the joy in my bosom knows no bounds. Thank you; a million times thank you." the unnamed actor on the left laughed, "Ha! He said bosom! It's already working! Comedy and tragedy will at last join hands."

The two left the Academy to ask everyone in town to see a play, while Amy and Serah sat in an awkward silence with Ransom Locke. After ten minutes, everyone had gathered to see the play.

The actor on the left began, "You know, that reminds me of a great joke. A ghost and a chicken walk into a bar. Unfortunately, the bartender had a mild heart attack that morning, so none of them get served!"

Lampert returned, "And what purpose does heartache served, when the infinite black blanket of death falls upon our still beating corpse?"

"That reminds me of another one. A corpse walks into a bar and says, 'Can I have a lemonade?' 'Certainly,' replies the bartender, 'I've never seen a stiff drink'."

Lampert faced the crowd, "And so endth our happy-sad play, which reminds us we are made of nothing but clay. There's only time for our fool to say…"

"Great, big, giant bosoms!" they finished. The crowd began to mutter amongst itself.

"What the hell was that?"

"Biggest load of old tosh I ever saw. It didn't even make sense."

"Worst. Play. Ever."

The crowd left, pissed off that it just wasted its time watching some rubbish. Serah could barely contain her laughter, "Oh God! Did you see that one guy's face after it was done?"

Jasper spoke through the Guild Seals, "That was very awful in my opinion. Morley was definitely off his rocker when he made this one. Walter wishes to speak with you again. He is still in that bloody tavern."

"Thanks Jasper," Amy replied. Serah grabbed her hand, "Time for another beer I guess."

They walked down to the pub, waiting to hear what Walter wanted to tell them.

_**Save game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: Whew, this is finally done. I hope I got most of the in-game dialogue right, but something tells me no. Ah well. I can't be perfect. Anyways, comment, criticism are always nice to have, so don't be shy about stating your thoughts. Remember: OC guard or mercenary requests are still being accepted. Just leave their name and occupation. I'll see you on the flip side. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	6. Followers and Leaders Part 2

_**A/N: I'm on a roll here~! It's only a matter of time before I'm done with the Brightwall Arc. That means the Hollow Legion is up next, and that should be an enjoyable ride. But first, the Brightwall Arc must come to a close. Hopefully, it doesn't need a third part, but I have no trouble in writing more to satisfy the demand. I don't own Fable or Halo; Lionhead Studios and 343 Industries are the rightful owners.**_

_**Load game… start!**_

***Followers and Leaders Part 2***

_Brightwall_

Amy and Serah walked into the tavern, where Walter was having another drink with Alex. The blonde seemed able to hold his liquor, downing shot after shot. Walter heard footsteps behind him, and turning around, he saw the two Heroes, "Ah, there you are!"

Walter jerked his thumb over to the drinking blonde, "He says he wants to join us. Is that okay with you two?"

Serah answered, "As long as he doesn't stab us in the back, I'm fine." She gave Alex a slightly mistrusting look, which he ignored. Amy shrugged, "It doesn't matter to me."

Walter downed his beer and slammed the glass on the table, "Now, your other friend went to Bowerstone to see if she can recruit into the military, find some good inside information. In the meantime, we'll wait here until you have Brightwall's full support. Off you go then." He waved them off, and they left the pub.

Serah flexed her shoulders, "Should we go to the Sanctuary to find out who else needs help?"

Amy nodded, "Yeah, I don't want to have to ask every person I meet if they need help. That's a bit creepy."

"You're not leaving me without some action," a voice behind them spoke. Serah and Amy spun around, drawing their guns, only to see it was Alex.

"Shit, I didn't know I was at target practice. Otherwise, I would've painted a bullseye on my chest," he muttered, backing away from the guns. Serah put her rifle away, prompting Amy to do the same.

"What do you want?" Serah asked. Alex yawned, "You don't expect me to sit around drinking my life away forever do you? I need a good fight to liven up."

Amy rolled her green eyes, "You have way too much fun fighting don't you?"

Alex gave a small smile, "Sorry about that." Serah grabbed him and transported them to the Sanctuary in order to find another villager in trouble.

_Sanctuary_

Jasper was in the main room, not saying anything. Serah peered at the map, "There's a bloke by the Academy who needs help with a missing package. Let's go to him then." Amy nodded in agreement, and they traveled to the nearest possible location.

_Brightwall_

Serah, Amy, and Alex arrived at the location, and they were in for a bit of a shock.

"Does anyone else feel slightly creeped out?" Alex asked, looking side to side. All around them were dozens of gnomes. Their pointed little hats, beards, and blank eyes had a high level of creepiness.

Serah pointed in front of them, where a man was standing, "There he is."

The man had a pointed hat just like the gnomes, making Serah wonder what kind of crazy fanatic he was. When he saw them, he was very happy.

The man exclaimed, "Oh my, this is wonderful timing. I had ordered a package, but it is late coming in. Say, could you go see what happened to it for me?"

Serah sighed, "Yeah, sure."

The man clapped his hands in delight, "Wonderful! Now, this package is very special. I ordered it from a catalogue. It should be in Mistpeak somewhere, away from the Dweller Camp."

Serah turned away, with Amy and Alex trailing, "Let's go. Something tells me that package is late for a very obvious reason."

"Mercenaries most likely," Alex suggested, brushing his hair from his eye. Amy agreed, "It would make sense, since the bloke said it was in Mistpeak, away from the Dweller Camp."

They walked down the streets of Brightwall, across the bridge, and headed for the mountains.

_Mistpeak_

Alex shivered as the cold wind struck him, "I'm really underdressed for this bullshit." Serah smacked him, "Quit bitching. We have a job to do." Alex rubbed his jaw, "Why the fuck does everyone love slapping me?"

Amy felt a pang of slight pity for the blonde, "You do get hit too much."

Serah pulled out her rifle, looking for any wolf packs in the area, "I got nothing." Alex pulled out his scoped pistol, "I'm pretty sure we're all clear." Amy couldn't see anything either, and they continued down towards the Mercenary Camp. Just as they crested the top of the hill, however, Serah signaled for them to stop, "Wait."

Alex gave her a look of confusion, until he saw them. A pair of mercenaries had attacked the caravan, and they were robbing it for goods, only to find none. One of the mercs began complaining, "Nothing by a worthless hunk of stone! Who the hell's gonna pay us for this?"

The other mercenary turned towards him, "What do you mean? We're bloody mercenaries! Somebody will pay us for this job."

Alex gave a sly grin, "My time to shine." Spotting several trees, he jumped into one, and began moving along the branches until he was right over the two oblivious mercenaries. Serah leaned over to Amy, "That's the same thing he did with us."

Alex was directly over the mercenaries, and he began to play with his food a little, "You know, to attack a defenseless caravan, you really have a lot of skill."

The lead mercenary pulled out his sword, "Who's there!? Show yourself!"

"Gladly," Alex replied, and he jumped from the tree, landing right in front of them. He unsheathed his katana and struck, killing the first mercenary in a split-second before sheathing his sword as if nothing happened. The second mercenary paled, "Oh God, it's you!" He tried to run, only for Alex to draw his pistol and shoot him in the back of the head. He twirled it in his fingers before dropping it in its holster.

"You can run, but you'll only die tired," the blonde said smugly. Amy chuckled at the blonde's little remark.

"You barely broke a damn sweat doing that," Serah commented, walking towards the caravan. It was smashed to bits, with a stone gargoyle the only intact item remaining. Amy picked it up, and nearly fell over, "Holy shit! This bloody thing weighs a ton!"

Serah looked at it before taking the object from the redhead's hands, "It certainly feels eerie."

Alex looked away, "I've had enough of creepy things for the day." They left the wreckage and headed back, on the lookout for any more mercenaries. Alex looked on ahead, the last words said by that mercenary still in his mind.

"_Oh God, it's you." _he had said. The fear in his eyes was unmistakable, and he tried to get away. Except Alex had shot him, killing him.

'_I'll have to tell them sooner or later. But, how will they react?' _Alex wondered. He shook his head, concentrating on the task ahead. There was still something he needed to do.

They had reached the mountains again, and they pushed along, ignoring the bitter cold and headed into the town below.

_Brightwall_

Serah breathed as she headed into the town, "You know, I could really use some sleep now." Amy yawned in agreement, still not used to strenuous activity for long periods of time without rest. Alex didn't look too tired when he fought, but the Spartan could see a ring forming around his eye.

Serah faced them, "We'll deliver the package and then go to the rooms above the pub for some rest. Sound good?"

Alex nodded wearily, "Sure." He winced as he flexed his shoulder. The wound from earlier was bothering him again.

Serah noticed, "You know, you are going to never use your arm properly again if you push it too much."

Alex rolled his eye, "Well, I did get thrown into a fucking tree. It's not like I hit something soft and comfortable."

"True, true," Serah shrugged.

They headed to the Academy, avoiding the looks from the villagers. Some of them were in shock, as the Spartan was hefting the stone object with ease. The townspeople had never seen such a strong female.

"I seriously hope carrying this shit is worth it," Serah grumbled. When they reached the Academy, they went right, going down the spiral staircase. Waiting for them was the slightly crazy bloke who had sent them on this.

"Did you find it?" he asked eagerly. Serah huffed, "Here's the bloody thing." The man clapped his hands, "Wonderful!" He placed the object on a stand, pulled out a piece of paper, and began to read instructions of some kind.

He had his back turned, "Let's see… make sure gargoyle is in place of honor, done that. Make sure your lawn ornaments are in line of sight, check. Face your gargoyle, take a deep breath, and say in a clear, confident voice… oh."

The man cleared his throat and faced the gargoyle, "Gargolus, multipulus us." That's when things really got strange.

Lightning flew from the gargoyle's head, striking all the gnomes. Each of their eyes glowed a bright blue, and some of them began to speak.

"Never leave home without a hat," one said.

"Don't eat wild mushrooms; they could be toadstools," another advised.

"Always look both ways before crossing a road," another warned. Serah and Amy began to back up, "What the actual fuck?"

Alex sighed and turned away, "This is one weird ass day."

The man was extremely happy, "Oh, this is wonderful! Oh, wait until I tell my family. Oh wait, I forgot I stopped talking to them. Who cares about them? This is absolutely mind-bogglingly amazing!"

Serah leaned over to Amy, "We just gave life to a garden full of gnomes. This will have absolutely any consequences in the future." The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable.

Amy sighed in agreement. Alex gave a yawn, "I really need some shut-eye."

They headed back up the staircase, heading down the path to the pub.

Once there, Alex claimed the room to the left as his, "Sorry, but this one is mine."

Serah shrugged, "Don't care." The two Heroes looked at the lone bed, before shrugging and sharing it.

"Night," Amy murmured, passing out on the bed. Serah brushed her hair before heading downstairs for a drink.

"Wine please," she requested. The barmaid handed her the wine, and she down it in a gulp. The liquid barely seared his throat, and she paid for the drink before heading back upstairs to sleep. Seeing the Princess was already asleep, Serah did her best to not wake her as she joined the sleeping redhead in bed.

_Several Hours Later…_

Serah and Amy woke to angry shouting. Serah groaned, "What the fuck is it now?"

Amy got up, headed downstairs, and saw Alex had gotten into an argument with a drunk.

"Listen to me asshole! If you go anywhere near those two, I'll slit your damn throat right here, right now," Alex growled, his hands on his sword. The drunk waved him off, "Please, you ain't gonna do shit Blondie." He spat at the blonde, and that's when hell broke loose.

Alex swung his sword, and stabbed the drunk through the hand, "I won't fucking do what?"

The drunk struggled desperately to get free, the blade parting his flesh even more. Several guards had entered, and when they saw the scene, they gestured towards the blonde, "You have every right to kill the drunk."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "Seriously?"

The guard closest nodded, "Yeah, he is a known murderer. He had eluded us for quite a while. Kill him, and the reward is yours."

Alex pulled his sword out of the drunk's hand, blood splattering onto the floor. He began to laugh weakly, "I told you th-"

He was cut off from a loud gunshot, a bullet striking him in the head. Alex holstered his pistol, the barrel still smoking.

"Don't fuck with me," he hissed angrily, his green eye blazing. He turned back to the guards, "Keep the money. I don't want the reward."

The guards left, as well as several witnesses. Serah came downstairs, her eyes widening when she saw the chaos, "What happened?"

Alex kicked the drunk's dead body, "This asshole tried to take advantage of you two while you were sleeping. It turns out he is also a murderer, and the guards were only too happy to let me kill him."

Serah turned away, "Well, you did what you had to." Amy agreed with the Spartan. The blonde had acted the best this time.

Alex pushed the recent events away, "So, how many more people do we need to impress?"

Serah gave a small grin, "Only one way to find out." Her and Amy used their Will to travel to the Sanctuary.

_Sanctuary_

Serah hovered over the map, zooming in on Brightwall. She pointed to a man on the other side of town, "I think that's the last one."

Amy straightened up, "Let's get a move on then." There was a brilliant flash, and the Heroes left the Sanctuary and went back into town.

_Brightwall_

The location of the quest was a bit of a surprise. Instead of it being a home, or a pub, it was a farm. Several chicken houses were lined up, and a sad farmer was in the middle, shaking his head.

The farmer moaned, "Oh this is terrible. All my chickens got of the chicken coop, and are around town. On the contrary on what most people think, chickens are quite intelligent. You wouldn't mind of rounding them up, would you?"

Alex put his hands up, "I'm allergic to chickens." Serah let out a cough that sounded like, "Bullshit."

Amy stepped forward, ignoring the arguing pair, "I'll do it."

The farmer held out a chicken suit, "Here, you'll need to wear this. Chickens are very crafty. They won't fall for any of the 'Come here, chicky-chicky, I got some lovely treats for you'. Oh no, too smart for that. You have to defeat them, psychologically. Just don't let the little buggers in your head, as you really don't want to see that. Just flap your wings a bit, and they should follow you back here."

Amy put on the chicken suit, drawing snickers from Alex and Serah. The redhead glared, "I'd like to see you wear this damn thing!" The two fell silent.

Amy spun on her heel and walked down the path, and it was only a matter of seconds before she found the first flock of chickens. Sighing in resignation, she flapped her wings to get the birds' attention. The chickens perked up, and began to follow the redhead, just like the farmer said.

"I really hope this ends soon," she grumbled, leading the pack back to the henhouse. The chickens were led back in, and the farmer got his hopes up, "Nice work reeling them in."

Amy turned around, aware that many people were staring at her.

'_I seriously cannot believe I'm doing this,' _she thought. She walked down the path, this time taking a right to go to the houses on the side. And sure enough, the chickens were there, just hanging out in some person's garden.

"Hopefully I won't ever have to do something like this again," Amy said to no one in particular. She flapped her wings, and the birds jumped up and followed her, just like the last pack. She led them back to the coop. The farmer looked hopeful, "One more group left. They should be on the other side of town, near the wells."

Amy ran back down, turned left, and went up the path towards the Academy. Once at the top of the hill, she made a right instead of continuing straight. There, by the wells, was the las group. The redhead flapped her wings for the hopefully last time, and the chickens followed her to the coop.

The farmer watched as the birds went back into the henhouses, "That's the last of them. At last, the town can rest easy." He didn't notice a woman marching up to him, looking distressed, "Oh Bernard, you've gone and locked them up again! This isn't right! They deserve to be free!"

Bernard rounded on her, "You are always babbling on about chickens and their freedoms. You know what I think? I think that you let the free in the first place!"

The woman didn't try to deny it, "You're right; I let them out. I can't live with myself if we keep them cooped up."

"It is called a coop for a reason," Bernard pointed out dryly. He continued, "Since I can't be sure that you won't pull this again, I guess the only thing for it is to kill them all." Bernard made a slitting motion across his throat to emphasize the point. The woman began crying, "Oh please, don't do it! I promise I won't do this again!"

Bernard ignored her, and to Amy's dismay, he shot each chicken, killing them instantly. The woman began to sob, with Amy wondering what the bloody hell the point of the job was in the first place.

Bernard marched away after his massacre, "Now, I don't have to deal with them. Plus, we have dinner for at least a week." The woman walked away, "I don't know if I can be married to a murderer."

Amy tore off the chicken suit, "What the fuck!?"

Serah offered a consoling hand, "To be honest, I kinda saw this one coming. He looked awfully pissed about his chickens disappearing."

At this moment, Jasper interrupted them.

"You have amassed enough followers to impress Samuel and the people of Brightwall. I believe Samuel is at the town gate to discuss that very issue," he informed.

"We're on our way," Serah answered, pulling the Princess away from the scene.

Watching someone die in front of her was all too familiar to Amy. Twice this had happened. First Elliot, now an entire pack of defenseless chickens. Just how much more innocent lives will be lost in the cause?

Serah wrapped an arm around her, "Don't worry about this. Don't dwell so much on the past. Look ahead."

Amy leaned onto the Spartan's shoulder, "O-okay."

The trio made their way down the path, and in front of the town gates was a crowd. The minute they got there, the people started clapping and cheering. Samuel stepped forward.

He began a speech, "People of Brightwall, today we demonstrate the nature of our fair town. Too long have our mountain neighbors suffered in silence. Today, we extend a helping hand. This wouldn't have been possible without the courage and determination of two women: the daughter of the old Hero Queen and her Lieutenant friend." The crowd began cheering louder.

Samuel waited for the cheers to die away before continuing, "From this day forward, we shall know you two as… The Heroes of Brightwall! Before you leave, we ask that you pledge to us, as we have pledged to you. Promise to restore Brightwall to its former glory, and reopen the Academy to the public."

Amy nodded and took Samuel's hand, "We will."

The old librarian's eyes lit up, "Very good, very good." He motioned to several men carrying crates, "These volunteers shall carry the supplies to the Dweller Camp. They may have with them our blessing. I hope one day that both of you will return, not just as our Heroes, but as our leaders!" The crowd began throwing their hats in the air to show their support.

After ten minutes of non-stop cheering, the crowd dispersed, off to do their jobs. Serah faced the blonde and the redhead, "We should go on to the Dweller Camp."

Seeing both of them nod in agreement, she turned around and exited town, crossing the bridge. They walked out of town, heading into the mountains.

_Mistpeak_

Amy shivered, still unused to the cold. Even though it was expected, she still could not get used to it. Serah began rubbing her hands together, until she spotted movement up ahead. She pulled out her rifle, "Wolf pack ahead on the left."

Alex took out his pistol, and found the wolves. He began to pick them off, "They won't even know what hit 'em." Four shots rang out, and four dead wolves fell, their blood turning the snow crimson.

"Nice shot," Serah commented. The former mercenary gave a sly grin, "I know I am."

'_What a show-off,'_ Amy thought, rolling her eyes. They headed left, going up the rickety bridges again.

"I really hate these damn things," Serah grumbled. Alex pushed his hair out of his face to see better. He began to regret that decision.

"Great. Now I can see exactly how and where I'll die if this thing collapses," he groaned. They hurried across the bridges, trying to ignore the creaks. They came across another wolf pack along the way, which was quickly eliminated.

The rest of the way was clear, and before long, they entered the place where it all started.

_Dweller Camp_

The trio entered the Dweller Camp, and were greeted by waves of cheering people. For once, the Dwellers had something to be happy about. Alex looked around uneasily. Serah noticed and looked back, "What's wrong?"

Alex held his head low, "It's just… I feel uncomfortable being in a place where I kill. So many Dwellers have died by my own hand."

Serah sighed and dragged him along, "Look Blondie, you ain't going all angsty on me now. I don't care if I have to drag your ass around this bloody camp. You are going to talk to Sabine."

The former mercenary grudgingly went along, still being pulled by the Spartan. Amy followed, and they entered the gates where Sabine sat on his throne. The Princess pulled out the music box acquired earlier.

The leader of the Dwellers began to speak, "Our Heroes bring good tidings. And supper." He let out a small laugh that was stopped abruptly upon seeing Alex.

Sabine's eyes narrowed, "So, we meet at last, murderer."

Alex kneeled in front of the old man, "I don't deny what I have done. But, I have left Saker to assist these two. All I ask is for forgiveness. I will never harm an innocent person, especially a Dweller."

Sabine grabbed a cane and whacked the blonde on the head. He immediately protested, "What the bloody hell was that for!?"

Sabine stood up, "I already know that! You don't have to spout all that nonsense to me!"

Alex rubbed his head, "You should've told me that sooner."

Amy stepped forward to give Sabine the music box. He took it, and tried shaking it.

"Damn thing doesn't open. How do you… ah well. I never thought you two would actually get it, to tell you the truth. Still, you have brought life back to our humble village," he said.

Sabine raised himself up, "Now, before we join you, promise us one thing. Swear that you will bring the fiercest justice upon Logan's head!"

Amy nodded quickly, "I promise!"

Sabine started to get a bit carried away at this point, "Then let us storm the castle, guided by the dark storms of fury!" Luckily, Walter was here to talk some sense into the old man.

"You'll have to wait a little longer for that, I'm afraid. It's still us against a whole army. We need more allies," he pointed out.

Sabine sighed, "I was afraid you'll come out all sensible and reasonable." He sat back down on his throne, "We'll just keep on eating and drinking until you're ready."

Walter guided the trio out, and he already had plans for the next batch of allies.

"You have done very good work here, and I already know where to find our next allies. Meet me at the Mistpeak Monorail when you're ready," he said.

They made their way out of the Dweller Camp, and headed back to the mountains.

_Mistpeak_

They were back in the mountains, and Serah had no idea where to go next, "What the fuck is a monorail?"

"It's like a steel box on rails hanging from the ceiling," Alex answered.

Serah didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. Shaking her head, she led the way down the mountain path, the evidence of their earlier wolf massacre still present. The bridges creaked and groaned as the trio made their way down the mountain face.

Once at the bottom, they looked around.

"Does anyone else know where to go now?" Serah asked. Alex nodded, "I do. Follow me."

They followed the blonde through the trees, until he put an arm out to stop them, "Wait!"

Serah swore she saw movement in the trees, and she pulled out her rifle, took aim, and fired. She was rewarded by a dead mercenary's body hitting the forest floor. The trees became alive, a group of mercenaries dropping down to ambush the trio. Unfortunately for them, this trio was skilled in combat, and they wouldn't lose to a bunch of weaklings.

Alex didn't even pull out his sword, using his pistol instead. He emptied his clip into a pair of mercenaries, "You guys seriously have no skill."

Amy cast a surround Fire spell, the ground igniting around her and scorching any mercenaries too close to her. The smell of burnt flesh hit her nostrils, and she gagged.

Serah had just finished pulling her sword out of a mercenary's chest, and the ambush squad was dead. She wiped the blood off of the blade, "Kinda predictable now."

Amy brushed some loose strand of red hair away from her eyes before following Alex again. They headed back down the path through the woods. After they crested the hill, they all could see the Mercenary Camp in the distance.

Alex looked away from it, "I'm never going back to that place. Not if I can help it."

The blonde led them right, into another small patch of woods. There wasn't anything hostile, so they pressed on.

Once they reached the end of the woods, they turned right, going up a stone path. Serah read the sign, "Mistpeak Monorail. This must be the place." The group headed inside, waiting to see what Walter wanted them to.

_**Save game… quit!**_

_**A/N: The Brightwall Arc is now finally over, and the Hollow Legion Arc will commence shortly. I know I still have to get the Monorail chapters done, and I'm thinking of breaking it into two parts, like what I did for 'Followers and Leaders'. But hey, I never know. Leave comments, questions, concerns, etc. I'll see you on the flip side. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	7. The Monorail

_**A/N: I am now finished with the Brightwall Arc, and now it is time for the Monorail chapter(s). I still don't know if it'll be one or two chapters, but I know that the Hollow Legion will be only one chapter, as it isn't really long of an Arc. The Bowerstone Arc will definitely take awhile, that's for sure. But, as I have a few OCs to work with, I can make this bigger than I originally thought. I don't own Halo or Fable; they are 343 Industries and Lionhead Studios' property. For now.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***The Monorail***

Serah and Amy entered the monorail station, along with Alex. The station was bustling with people, and in front of the station itself, sitting on a bench, was Walter. The old soldier was patiently waiting for them, moving him foot in a rhythm. When he saw the trio, he got up, waving over to them.

Once the group had reached him, Walter looked into the distance of the cavern, "I could never get over this place. Twenty years ago, this was just a damp, murky void in the middle of nowhere."

"It still is," Alex muttered, drawing snickers from Serah.

"Yeah, and now people cue up to get dangled across it in a steel box," Amy finished. Walter pointed, "And there it is."

The monorail looked to be a train suspended from the roof of the cavern by rails embedded in said cavern.

Walter looked at the monorail, "Most of the people here will be heading straight to Bowerstone, but we're going to take a little detour first. I just hope-"

The monorail screeched to a halt quite a good distance from the station, sparks flying from the wheels.

"Shit, something's wrong with it," Serah mumbled. That was an understatement.

A loud explosion rocked the monorail, separating the left side from the tracks. Terrified people began to panic, "It's about to fall!" Another explosion forced the monorail off of the tracks, sending it into the bottom of the cavern. Walter looked over the edge as it fell, "No!"

The monorail hit the bottom, another loud explosion rattling the cavern. Walter flinched backwards as the force from the blow sent a wave of bats up. Walter turned to the trio, who were standing in shock. They raced down to the gates, going to the service elevator. The townspeople ran away in fright.

"How could this have happened?" a frightened woman asked.

"Those poor people. Those poor, poor people," another cried. Walter stood in front of the gate, and he pulled out his sword, "We have to get down there; see if there are any survivors."

He slid his sword into the gap between the gate's hinges, and was about to force the gate open until Alex stopped him.

"With all due respect, I think I can get it open easier," the blonde said. Walter pulled his sword out of the slot and backed away. Alex gathered his strength and swung his sword, the lock shattering upon impact. He sheathed his weapon, and the gate pushed open with ease.

"Let's go," Walter ordered. Serah peered over the edge, "I can see the flames below."

'_Great. More innocents killed,' _Amy thought sadly as she followed the group. It just never seemed to end.

The group headed down the platform before turning right. There sat an elevator for them to use. Alex, Amy, and Serah had no problem getting in the elevator, but Walter did.

"It looks like the only way," he said in resignation. He took a deep breath before joining them, "Right, I can do this."

Serah pulled on the lever, and the elevator sent the group down to the bottom of the cave. Since it was going rather slowly, Walter grudgingly muttered, "I don't want to spend any more time in this box than I have to."

Serah leaned over to Amy, "He really doesn't like caves, does he?"

"Yeah, he has speluncaphobia," Amy answered. After few seconds, the lift dropped them on the cave floor.

"It fell somewhere up ahead; come on!" Walter ordered, being the first one out of the lift.

They walked along the cave floor, until they heard clanging and creature grunts. Walter pulled out his word, "I'd recognize those sounds from anywhere. Maybe, the monorail falling wasn't an accident after all!"

They rounded the corner, and they saw the flaming wreckage of the monorail, and on it where several squat, ugly creatures playing with it.

Alex already had his pistol drawn, "Hobbes! I should've known. Don't leave any of the bastards alive!" He began to unload clips into the ugly beasts.

Serah drew her sword, swinging at the nearest hobbe. As she stabbed it, a sickly noise was heard. Serah pulled her sword out in disgust, "These fuckers make squishy sounds!?"

'_Talk about revolting,' _Amy thought, firing her pistol into a hobbe's chest. The Spartan was right about the hobbes being squishy. Really disturbing.

After a couple of minutes, all the hobbes were dead, and Walter sheathed his sword, "That's it. But there'll be more. That's one thing you can count on with hobbes: there's always more."

He looked at the flaming wreckage, "Poor sods. They never had a chance."

Alex looked around the next bend, and he saw a bridge for rail cars to travel on. He waved them over, "I think we have something this way."

Serah pulled out her rifle, and she looked around to make sure it was clear. Amy fell in behind with Walter, who noticed something was wrong with the redhead. He let his hand fall on her shoulder, "I know, this isn't easy for you to deal with. Many innocents will lose their lives, but remember it is all for the greater good. Don't dwell on the past. Look ahead."

Amy sighed, "Okay." Walter was more than just a mentor to her. He was more of a father than anything.

They crossed the bridge, ignoring the massive drop on either side. It wasn't long before Walter's earlier words turned true. There were more hobbes, although these seemed to be tougher than the ones they first fought. Alex leaped up, unsheathed his sword, and slashed multiple times with blinding speed. He sheathed his weapon before rolling out of the way, drawing his pistol in the process.

Walter was impressed by the blonde's skills, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone strike with that kind of speed. You're really fast."

'_Unnaturally fast,' _he thought to himself. There was definitely something different about the blonde, but what was it?

Serah resorted to using her magic, the Shock spell frying the hobbes to death. The spell made the bodies turn into skeletons.

"At least I don't have to hear the disgusting noises these things make when you hit them," she shrugged. Amy followed her idea and began to scorch the hobbes with Fire magic. Unfortunately, the smell of their burnt flesh hit her nostrils, and Amy nearly threw up her last meal.

"That stench is really fucking disgusting," Alex grumbled, holding his nose. The hobbes were all dead, however, and they pressed on. They reached a large clearing, with several hobbes about. Serah and Alex took them out with gunfire, and they walked until they reached the middle of the clearing.

Barrels were scattered all over, and some of them were moving slightly. Serah threw her arm out to stop them, "Wait."

Alex looked at the barrels, and sighed, "It's a bloody ambush."

Walter ignored them. He paid for it, as a large group of hobbes jumped out of the barrels, startling the old soldier. He leapt back, "You nearly gave me a bloody heart attack. You'll pay for that!"

Walter fired his pistol quickly until all the hobbes were dead. he kicked a corpse, "You ugly little bugger."

Alex sighed and led the group ahead, nothing attacking them for a while. Until they came across a ravine, that is.

On the other side, multiple hobbes with rifles began shooting at the group. Walter and Amy took shelter behind some of the large boulders, "We don't have any long range weapons!"

Alex drew his pistol, looking through the scope on the side.

"I see several barrels on the other side. I'm pretty sure they're filled with gunpowder. One shot, and they should explode," he informed. Serah grinned as she pulled out her rifle, "Only one way to find out."

Walter tried to think of solutions, "We can either have a shootout here or we can give the bastards a taste of their own clever medicine and flank them. It's up to you."

Serah and Alex answered by shooting the barrels, the small explosions killing any hobbes in range. They only ones they couldn't kill where the ones hiding behind boulders.

Alex holstered his pistol, "I guess we have no other choice but to flank them." He didn't sound too happy about it. Serah fired at a dead body in annoyance, "That's for making me walk all the way around just to kill your annoying-ass friends."

"Can you not waste ammo on dead bodies? They're already dead," Walter reprimanded. The Spartan didn't listen, and she emptied a full clip into a dead hobbe, the body jerking each time a bullet struck.

"I see you listen very well," Walter muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Amy shook her head, "Just let it go Walter."

Serah put her rifle across her back and continue, following Alex around the bend to the left. Walter stopped as he saw the structure, obviously built by the hobbes.

"Would you look at that? They've built themselves a little castle. Isn't that adorable?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Several new hobbes, this time twice as big and wearing red, joined the fray. They wielded either axes or blunderbuss guns, and they seemed to rely on brute strength alone.

Alex tricked a hobbe by pointing behind it. It fell for the world's oldest rick, and when its back was turned, Alex snapped its neck. The body fell with a limp thud.

"I cannot believe these things are that stupid," the blonde remarked before slicing another hobbe's head off. Serah pushed one done with her boot, and she stabbed it in the mouth, blood spraying up and coating her clothes crimson. She stepped off of the hobbe, and then sliced it in half to make sure it was dead.

When Serah saw Amy giving her a look, she shrugged, "Hey, better safe than sorry."

The group finished off the hobbes, and were now on the opposite side of the ravine. Walter shouted gleefully as he saw a hobbe try to run in terror, "Haha! You weren't expecting that were you? You've been out-thought, and out-hobbed."

Amy and Alex both drew their pistols, and the redhead told off the blonde, "Ladies first."

Alex put his hands up in mock defeat and holstered his pistol, "Whatever. There isn't any point in arguing with a woman."

Serah gave him a light tap, "Finally figured it out, huh?" Alex gave a small smile, "I had to say something so you wouldn't smack me." He spoke too soon.

The Spartan gave him a slap, making him hold his jaw, "WHAT THE FUCK!?"

"You spoke too soon," Amy laughed, feeling a small pang of pity for the blonde. He looked away, muttering about women and being slapped. They continued, wading through a bit of the path covered by water.

They saw an opening, blocked by a hobbe with a magic staff. It raised a barrier, preventing them from proceeding. Walter wasn't pleased with this, "Little sod's blocking our way. You'll have to find another way around. Cave like this, there's bound to be some other way to get there."

Serah and Amy nodded, "We'll go. You two stay here and make sure he doesn't know what we're up to."

Walter heard them, and was busy insulting the Summoner Hobbe, "You think you're so clever, standing behind your fancy magic do you?" The hobbe tilted its head to one side in confusion.

"That's right! I'm talking to you!" Walter shouted angrily. The hobbes around the Summoner Hobbe began pointing and laughing at the two males, oblivious that two females were sneaking around the side.

"You do know you sound crazy right?" Alex muttered, just loud enough for the old soldier to hear. Walter didn't react much, "All we can do is wait for Amy and Serah to get over to the other side."

_Meanwhile…_

Amy and Serah went left, seeing the path curved in that direction. Then they saw the water.

"It smells rancid," Amy said in disgust. Serah waded in anyway, "It's the only way forward, so we might as well get over it and quit bitching."

"Sometimes, I don't know how to answer that," the redhead sighed, wading through the water. Thankfully, it was only a short swim, and they were soon on land.

Serah looked at the state of her clothing, "Shit, I could wring a damn glass of water from this."

Amy tried to get some of the water out of her clothing as well, "I'm just as drenched."

They crept along the path, the summoner hobbe still unaware of the two Heroes. With a silent 'Go' from Serah, Amy stabbed the summoner hobbe through the back, the body going limp almost immediately. The other hobbes turned in shock, and they fell to quite a bit of gunfire. Alex stepped on the bodies for good measure, and he and Walter joined them on the other side of the cave.

"Good work, you two," Walter praised. He had started to get incredibly annoyed at the hobbe.

Alex shook his head in slight amusement, "Smart enough to use magic, not smart enough to wear their pants the right way round. Try explaining that."

"Um, you can't?" Serah tried.

They continued down the path, and they came across what looked to be the ruins of a city.

"Wow," Amy breathed. Buildings were clearly built underground, and there were many. Walter looked around in slight shock, "Now this, this I didn't expect. There must have been a whole city down here once."

Alex looked closely at the structures, "They're definitely not natural. Too perfectly shaped."

Walter turned to Alex, "You don't think the Hobbes could've built them, do you?"

Alex laughed, "With those stubby-ass fingers? I seriously doubt that one."

Serah waited until the blonde's laughter died down before she spoke, "Do you realize just how quiet it is? It's too quiet. Almost like an ambush."

They crossed the bridge, and they saw an arena up ahead. Amy muttered, "For some reason I have a very bad feeling about this."

They entered the arena, and it came alive, with barriers being formed on both the exit and entrance. Serah groaned, "I fucking called it!"

Hobbes sat on stools on top of the arena, some playing drums, others pointing and laughing at the group. Alex unsheathed his sword, "Come out and get me then!"

Three Summoner Hobbes appeared in the circle that was in the center of the arena, and they began to summon skeleton Hobbes. Amy groaned at the thought of having to fight a new type of undead enemies, "Again with the undead bullshit?"

Alex didn't seem to care, and he slashed out multiple times with blinding speed, killing three undead Hobbes with ease. He had already sheathed his word before the bones even hit the ground. Amy had her pistol out firing at any Hobbes that came too close to her. She flew forwards as a Hobbe had gotten a lucky blow on her back, still sore from getting hit by an Armored Hollow Man in the Reliquary.

Wincing, the redhead got up, and she kicked the Hobbe in the groin, sending it into the air before shooting it, effectively finishing it off.

"Nice way to add insult to injury," Serah remarked in amusement, parrying a blow from a red-suited Hobbe. She placed her foot on its chest before stabbing it in the mouth, a fountain of blood covering her.

"Ugh, that's gross," the Spartan muttered, taking a good look at her spoiled outfit. It would take a month to get the smell of blood out of it.

Walter swung his word, his strength still good for an old man, "Take this you little buggers!"

Most of the skeleton Hobbes were dead, and the barrier around the Summoner Hobbes faded away, leaving them vulnerable. It didn't get much better, as Armored Skeleton Hobbes were summoned, and they wielded some sharp looking axes.

"Those look like they can give us some pains," Alex remarked, ducking out of the way of a swing before slicing a normal Hobbe's head off.

"No, you don't say," Serah returned, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

She glowed silver before spinning and slicing an Armored Hobbe in two. The body of bones collapsed into a heap. Amy focused her magic, her hand glowing orange. She launched a barrage of Fire at the Summoner Hobbes, their bodies being scorched to death.

Once again, the group gagged at the smell of roasted Hobbe.

"Does anyone want a roasted Hobbe for dinner?" Alex asked jokingly as he shot the last Summoner Hobbe in the head, killing it. As all the Hobbes were now dead, a portal appeared, beckoning the Heroes to the other dimension.

_The Road to Rule_

Serah and Amy arrived in the Road to Rule, where Theresa was waiting patiently.

"This had been a momentous day. A good leader must always be ready for the unknown. Your defeat of the creatures in this cave will be told throughout the land," she whispered. The seer faded away, leaving the two Heroes alone. They were about to exit through the portal when Jasper contacted them again.

"Please return to the Sanctuary, and I can pass on what I know," he said smoothly. The two used their Will to travel to the Sanctuary, and for some reason, they were already in the armory. Jasper motioned to the gauntlets, which have increased since their last visit. Two new spells were added to their collect: Vortex and Ice Storm.

Jasper began to talk, "You two have enough magical power to weave spells. That is, you can now ear two gauntlets at once. Give it a try, and see what power is waiting to be unlocked."

Serah put on the Ice Storm gauntlet on her left hand, feeling eve more power course through her.

"This…this is…different," she gasped. Amy put on the Vortex gauntlet, and she too felt the new surge of magic.

"I can't wait to test these out," she breathed, excited about the possibility of combined spells.

They thanked Jasper before returning to the Road to Rule, and they went back through the portal to the caves.

_The Hole_

The two Heroes where back in the dank, creepy, hobbe-infested cavern once again. Blocking their way out still was a summoner hobbe. Walter looked at it thoughtfully, "Hm, I don't think you two are going to find a way around this time."

Alex mockingly looked around, "Tell us something we don't know."

Walter ignored him, "But, I've got some magic of my own. Watch and learn." He tapped his foot for a few moments, his hands on his hips.

"What the bloody hell is he doing?" Serah asked. Her question was answered approximately five seconds later.

Walter threw up his arms in a scary manner, "Boo!" The summoner hobbe let go of the spell, spun around, and died. The group was in shock.

"I'm calling so much bullshit on that!" Alex exclaimed.

"Was that a joke?" Serah asked.

"Of all the things I've seen today, this definitely takes the icing for funniest," Amy muttered, trying not to laugh.

Walter was equally surprised, "Wow, it worked. Right, let's get out of here, shall we?"

They walked along the path until the exit drew near, and they stepped from the darkness into the light of day.

_**Save game... Quit!**_

_**A/N: I know, this chapter is easily a good thousand words less, but it is really hard to write for the Monorail quest, as it was relatively short and easy to beat. All you ever had to do was make sure you didn't die from Hobbes. I seriously can't think of a worse way to go out than that… Anyway, the Hollow Legion is up next, and I think I'll have a whole lot of fun writing that part, as everyone's favorite dashing Captain is in it. I have posted up my much darker Fable fanfic called 'A Heap of Broken Images', if any of you are interested. I'll see you on the other side. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	8. The Hollow Legion

_**A/N: What's up~? I have most of the Bowerstone Arc planned out, and it is only a matter of time before that part gets posted up. Also, sorry for the much shorter chapter last time. That wasn't nearly as good as I originally thought (Only about 3.5K words). Well, it is time for one of my favorite sections of the game. Time to start off the Hollow Legion~! I don't own Fable or Halo; 343 Industries and Lionhead Studios are the respective owners.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***The Hollow Legion***

_Mourningwood_

Walter let out a massive sigh of relief as he exited the caverns, not having to deal with his fear of dark places for a while.

He waved his arms around, "Ah, the sunlight. Isn't it wonderful? The damp, muggy, soggy sunlight."

Alex groaned, "It's waaaaaaay too fucking humid for this." The blonde was right. The air was incredibly thick, thick enough you could probably choke on it.

Serah looked around. The place they had entered was a swamp, an incredibly dreary one at that. There seemed to be little in the way of life, barely any insects.

"If I had known I would be trudging through a bloody swamp, I wouldn't have worn this," the Spartan grumbled. Amy muttered, "I hear you on that one."

The water seeped in through their boots, making them incredibly uncomfortable.

Walter looked around, "This is Mourningwood alright. I sure hope the people we're looking for are still alive."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Amy asked in confusion.

"Because, come nightfall, this is one of the most dangerous places in Albion," Walter answered, leading the way through. They crossed a stone bridge, heading down the path.

Alex looked around, "I heard rumors about this place. Isn't there a group of soldiers stationed here?"

Walter looked back at the blonde, "Yes, and they are some old friends of mine. It will be good to have some experienced fighters with us, and I'm hoping they will join."

He turned back to Amy and Serah, "We all made a pretty good team back there, don't you think? It's been a while since I got stuck in a real fight. It was just like fighting by your mother's side. I'd forgotten what it was like, standing next to a Hero."

The path then turned to small wooden bridges, making the group sigh in relief. They were already annoyed with water getting into their boots.

"I think we're almost there," Walter panted, his age beginning to show. Several military flags were held up from trees.

Up ahead, there was a large stone building, armed with several mortars.

'_It's got some good defense,' _Serah thought as she observed the building.

"That must be the place up ahead. What I wouldn't give for a bowl of soup and a hot bath," Walter muttered. The entrance was blocked by big oak gates, and on top of the fort there was a sentry. He called down to them, "Halt! Be you men or be you Hollow Men?"

Serah rolled her eyes, "Please tell me this guy is kidding."

"I don't think he is," Amy whispered back.

Alex rubbed his temples, "And here I was, thinking you actually had to be smart to join the military." This comment brought out several snickers from the two women.

Even Walter was slightly annoyed by the soldier's idiotic question, "Have you gone daft boy? Open up the doors!"

Recognition flowed over the sentry's face as he heard the old soldier's voice, "Walter? Is that you?"

Walter muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like 'Kids these days' before answering, "The very same. Are you going to let us in or what?"

The sentry stumbled a bit, "Oh, right. Of course." He turned to someone in the fort, "Open the gates! Tell Major Swift, 'Walter's here!'"

The gates to the fort opened, inviting the group inside. The two soldiers on guard at the entrance saluted as Walter entered, "Welcome Sir Walter." They put their arms down as the rest of the group entered the fort.

Standing in the middle of the fort were two men. One of them had a rather impressive mustache, and he was holding a pipe. Walter shook his hand in greeting, "There he is. The one and only Major Swift."

Swift seemed surprised to see his old friend, "Walter! What the blazes are you doing here?"

Walter gave out a hearty chuckle, "Looking for you. I have a proposition for you."

The man next to Swift, a blonde shook his head, "You came all this way to 'proposition' us? I thought you were here to save us from the legions of the damned."

"Legions of the damned?" Alex muttered, not having a clue as to what he was talking about. Walter faced the blonde soldier, "Ben Finn! It's good to see you. I take it the rumors about this place are true then."

Swift scoffed, "I'll say. I've never seen so many Hollow Men in one place. We've been stationed here for weeks, trying to eradicate them. Mainly, it's us that are getting eradicated." He motioned over to a soldier digging several fresh graves, "We lost some good men last night, including Lieutenant Simmons here. And the buggers will be back tonight!"

"Great, so this place is a haven for Hollow Men. That's exactly what I wanted to hear," Serah muttered under her breath. Walter gave out a bitter laugh, "Logan just loves to give you the best assignments, doesn't he? That's what I wanted to talk to you about." He waved Amy over to join them.

Swift looked the redhead up and down, "Is this…"

Walter finished for him, "The Princess, yes, I'll explain. Just treat her like any other pair of hands for now."

Swift straightened up, "Fair enough. Captain Finn will show you to one of the mortars. We could use a, a body up there."

Ben faced her, "Meet me on the wall when you're ready. I'll introduce you to Private Jammy, so named because he's the luckiest sod in the fort."

Amy began to follow the Captain to the wall of the fort. Meanwhile, Alex and Serah decided to take a little tour of the fort and talk to some of the men, as it never hurt to know who had your back. Alex saw a new recruit struggling to hit a bunch of jugs he had set up for target practice.

"Need some help there?" the blonde asked. The soldier looked back, "Yeah, and Captain Finn says if I don't improve I'll be tossed to the Hollow Men." He wasn't kidding.

Alex drew his pistol, "Well, perhaps I could give you some tips." He shot at the first jug, blowing it clean off the stand. The soldier gaped, "How…"

"First off, try aligning the sights. When you are about to fire, take a deep breath. This can help steady your aim greatly. The moment you exhale, squeeze the trigger. That should help your aim considerably," Alex instructed. The soldier lined up the sights, took a deep breath, and fired. To his delight, the bullet struck the jug and knocked it off of the stand.

"Good! Keep doing that, and you won't have to worry about Hollow Men," Alex praised. A shout caught his attention. It was Serah.

"Oi, Blondie! You're wanted on Mortar 2!" she shouted.

"I'll be right there," Alex sighed. He left the soldier to his target practice, and headed up onto the fort wall.

Serah followed him, and Amy was also there, talking with Ben.

Ben pointed to a soldier with bandages nearly everywhere, "This is Private Jammy. He'll be one of your loaders." The Private gave a nod, "Pleasure to meet you. It's true what they say about me, you know. The jammiest soldier in Albion. 724 wounds and still standing!"

A soldier next to Jammy snorted, "Will you please shut the hell up? We're about to be exterminated any second!" He seemed to be very grumpy. At least he had a good reason to be.

Ben motioned to him, "That's Sergeant Nick. He'll be another loader for you."

Nick gave out a snort, "I don't see why we even bother. There's no way any of us are going to survive past nightfall."

"He's a bit cynical," Ben whispered.

'_No kidding,' _Serah thought. Nick turned away, "I heard that!"

Ignoring the grumpy soldier, Ben pointed to Jammy, "Don't worry; you'll get used to him. After awhile he's hardly revolting at all."

"Still revolting to a point though," Nick muttered, earning several snickers from Amy and Serah.

Ben looked Alex, Amy, and Serah up and down before folding his arms, "I take it none of you have ever fired a mortar before?" A trio of heads shaking 'No' answered him.

"There's nothing to it. There's always a slight chance of maiming, but I'm sure you'll pick it up," Ben said with a small smile.

Serah coughed, "Slight?"

"Come on; you don't expect everything to work all the time, do you?" Alex asked.

"Point taken."

Ben leaned back, "Right Jammy, Nick. It's time to show them the ropes."

Jammy enthusiastically agreed, "Yes sir!" He faced Amy and Serah, "Now, my life's going to be in your hands, so, let's make sure you two know what you are doing, okay?"

"Now, grab the mortars, and we'll take some practice shots," Jammy instructed. Nick looked bored as he faced Alex, "Do what he said."

They each grabbed the mortars, and started to aim. Jammy pointed out to them a bunch of scarecrows in the field, "You see those scarecrows? Blow them up." Serah and Amy gave each other a look before firing their mortars, the rounds blowing up the scarecrows.

Jammy laughed, "Boosh! Goodbye Mister Scarecrow! That was bloody brilliant!"

Ben tried to calm the Private down, "Calm down Jammy. You know what happens when you get excited."

Nick pointed to the remaining scarecrow, "That last one is yours." He stopped just before Alex fired, "Hang on a minute. I don't remember any of us setting that one up."

As if on cue, the scarecrow moved, and a Hollow Man took its place. The undead creature roared, more Hollow Men appearing with it.

"They're here! Start firing!" Ben ordered. The first group was taken care of by Amy and Serah, the combined blasts taking all of them out.

"Quick, to the left!" Jammy alerted. Three mortars swiveled and fired, and that pack of Hollow Men was blown to bits.

"Good aim!" Ben yelled out, sniping the stragglers that ventured too close for the mortars to hit them.

"Hollow Men forming up on the right flank," Nick warned. Alex swiveled his mortar and fired in that direction, blowing the Hollow Men to bits. There was little time to celebrate, as another pack spawned in that area. Nick didn't even open his mouth before the former mercenary blew the undead creatures up, bones scattering.

"Keep it up and we can win this!" Ben encouraged. Nick snorted, "You're getting way too far ahead of yourself now."

Serah and Amy were one hell of a team, concentrating their fire on more than one pack. They made sure no stragglers crept up on the fort. Serah ducked as a bullet nearly hit her in the face, "Shit that was too close!" Before she or Amy could fire, Ben and Nick took care of it with their sharpshooting.

"Point those guns to the right! Incoming!" Jammy yelled. Three mortars fired, and three packs of Hollow Men died. All around, more packs of Hollow Men were spawning, too fast for the guns to destroy all of them.

"Shit, this isn't going to end well for us if this keeps up," Alex muttered, firing three rounds as fast as he could, the three projectiles hitting their targets. Suddenly, the Hollow Men transformed back into wisps and began to bang into the rear gate.

"They're at the rear gate! Take positions!" Swift ordered. The trio jumped down from the wall and pointed their guns at the rear door.

The door began to fall, and two soldiers went up to try and hold them back. Serah recognized them as the two who guarded the front entrance earlier.

"Push! Push!" one of the soldiers ordered, pressing his back against it, trying to prevent the Hollow Men from entering.

"I can't hold it! They're too strong!" the other yelled back. The doors groaned and collapsed on the two soldiers, killing them instantly.

"Watch that door!" Ben yelled as the wisps entered the fort. Hollow Men had now invaded the fort.

"Shit, this is not going well," Serah muttered as she drew her sword, ready to fight. Alex crouched low, and then he dashed forward, unsheathing and slashing at any Hollow Men he came across.

'_His stupidly fast speed will come in handy for this,' _Amy thought, shooting her pistol at the Hollow Men. One of them was about to strike across her back when Alex came along. He kicked its head off before blowing it to bits with his pistol.

"Don't let them sneak attack you!" he warned before he disappeared into the thick of the fighting. One soldier was fighting with a lute, "Have you ever heard the 'Ballad of Crushed Undead Skulls'? It's a jolly good song."

"There's too many!" Walter cried out, trying to slash his way through. Swift and Ben seemed to be holding up well, their rifles blowing Hollow Men to bits.

Watch the windows!" Nick warned, his pistol drawn. He fired at a pair of Hollow Men that got too close to him for comfort.

The Hollow Men might have been easy to kill, but since it was night and there were so many of them, they had an advantage.

Serah noticed Jammy, firing away with his rifle.

"Heh, you'll have to do better than that you undead zombies," he crowed. He didn't notice the two Hollow Men behind him. Serah ran forward, "Jammy! Behind you!" The soldier couldn't turn around in time, and the two Hollow Men struck him across the back, killing him.

"JAMMY!" Ben yelled as he saw the Private die. Serah let herself glow silver, and then that's when shit really got real. She flew forwards, and sliced all the Hollow Men in her area to death. She reached Jammy's body, and she closed his eyes, "I'm sorry for failing to keep you alive."

Serah picked Jammy's body up and put it in a secluded part of the fort for now. They didn't have any time to bury him at this moment.

Serah charged up her magic, both of her hands glowing blue and white. With a scream she cast the woven spell, the Shock coursing along the ground, electrocuting the Hollow Men before the Ice Storm spell finished them off.

Amy saw what the Spartan did, and how effective it was. The redhead's magic built up, both gauntlets ready to unleash her power. When she casted the spell, a Fire Storm was the only way to explain the sight. A fiery tornado swept up any Hollow Man around her before being burnt to death. Several charred bones were the only remains.

Alex saw a lone Hollow Man try to sneak attack Swift, and he ran forward, slashing and sheathing his sword before anyone else even saw it. Swift looked behind him, "Good grief, you gave me a scare there."

Alex responded by pulling out his pistol and killing the last Hollow Man, the bones falling on the ground. The soldiers began to cheer, "Victory! All hail the Princess and her allies!"

Swift pulled on his pipe, "Now, who's for a pint?" There was an instant crop of hands. None of the soldiers noticed the lone rogue wisp soar into the fort and land in a grave.

A massive, new type of Hollow Man appeared, with two huge blades on the ends of its hands. Swift took a look at it before yelling, "Lieutenant Simmons! I specifically instructed you to remain buried!"

Ben groaned, "Doesn't anyone follow orders anymore?" The undead soldier let out a roar, a shock wave following. Swift, Walter, Ben, and all the other soldiers were knocked out. Alex unsheathed his katana in an attempt to lessen the blow, only to get blown into the air.

The blonde fell high enough to reach the wall, and he landed rather heavily on the wall's walkway. He tried to get up, only to fall back down, "Da-dammit." He looked at his left hand. Three of the fingers were bent at unnatural angles, most likely broken. He tried to breathe, only to have his ribs explode in pain. Quite a few on his left side were cracked.

Biting his lip to hold back a yelp of pain, he struggled to his feet anyway, wiping blood from his mouth, "I-I th-think I'm o-out of th-this one."

He struggled to get off of the wall, and once he was down, he admitted to himself he was definitely out of this fight.

'_If I do try to fight, I'll only cause more damage to myself,' _Alex mused. He hobbled over to where the unconscious soldiers lay, and he drew his pistol, prepared to guard them.

Serah and Amy were mostly unaffected by the shock wave, save for some small scrapes. Serah got up first, "Are you alright?"

Amy felt her back, "For now I am."

Her slightly sarcastic response was welcoming to the Spartan. That meant she wasn't badly injured. Both Heroes were on their feet, and they looked for a way to beat this new, much more powerful foe.

Simmons let out another death roar, and several wisps fell out of his mouth. To the Heroes' dismay, he could summon more Hollow Men. Thankfully, none were the armored types, as those would give them a big headache that they couldn't afford. Not now, anyway.

Serah pulled out her rifle, "Concentrate of Simmons; I'll take out his little butt-buddy minions." Amy acknowledged the Spartan, drew her sword, and ran towards the undead Lieutenant. Simmons saw the redhead, and several golden blades shot out of his mouth. Before the Princess could wonder what they were, the blades flipped and flew straight towards her.

"Shit!" she swore as she dove to the right, trying to avoid getting hit. Serah was beginning to take care of the smaller Hollow Men, the bullets making them fall. Amy struck Simmons several times until he began to block her strikes. Amy glowed silver before striking in a flourish, and Simmons turned back into a wisp and flew over to another corner of the fort.

"Oh great. It's going to be that kind of battle," Serah groaned as she reloaded her rifle. She saw Alex standing in the corner with all the knocked out soldiers, and she was about to ask why he wasn't fighting. Until she saw the state he was in.

'_Good thing the moron didn't decide to fight,' _the Spartan thought dryly. The last thing they needed was for the blonde to try and get himself killed.

Serah finished reloading her rifle, and began to target the minions again as they spawned. Several Hollow Men came close to hitting her, but the Spartan mowed them down before they got a chance to do so.

Amy hit Simmons several times with her sword, until he started to block the strikes again. This time, however, when she went to do a flourish, Simmons blasted her back with a small shock wave. The Princess was knocked back several feet. In response, she drew her pistol and fired a full clip into him, the body jerking with each strike. Just after the fifth bullet hit Simmons, he turned into a wisp again and went into another corner of the fort.

"Just how strong is this fucker?" Serah asked as she began to pick off the minions for the third time.

'_That's a good question,' _Amy thought dryly as she avoided being chopped in to two pieces by Simmons' swords. Serah was too busy taking out Simmons' little buddies, and she didn't notice the lone Hollow Man creeping up from behind. A loud gunshot alerted her. Looking back, she saw Alex, unsteadily, reloading his pistol. Blood dripped from his mouth, and three of his fingers were broken.

"Do-don't ma-make m-me do th-that ag-again," he gasped, clutching his side in agony. He really was in terrible shape.

The minions were dead again, and only Simmons was left.

"Use your magic!" Serah ordered. Both Heroes began to charge their magic, their hands glowing. Serah released a Shock/Ice Storm, while Amy used a Fire/Vortex spell. The combined magic struck the former Lieutenant, and he died. Simmons was dead, this time for good.

Dawn finally began to break, and the soldiers began to regain consciousness. Ben Finn opened his eyes, looked at the carnage, and was beyond pleased.

"That was pretty damn impressive. So, your mother wasn't the last Hero of Albion after all," he said. Swift was boosting up his men, "We did it! No, really, we did!"

Ben joined in on the morale boosting, "Let the poets tell our epic tale. The Swift Brigade fought against impossible odds. They won. The End." He turned back to Walter with a sly smirk, "Well Walter, you didn't do too bad. For an old man."

Walter returned the wit right back at the Captain, "Neither did you. For a buffoon."

Both had a good long laugh about it. Walter turned back to Swift, "So, what do you say? Will you join us? Bring back the real Albion army."

Swift gave a small sigh, "I swore to serve my King to the death; we all did. But this isn't how it's meant to be. The old guard has been shoved away. Plus, these new soldiers Logan's been gathering, they don't care about this land or its people."

Ben muttered resentfully, "Yeah, and I bet they get paid more." Nick rolled his eyes, "That is the least of our problems."

Swift faced Amy and Serah, "Walter has absolute faith in you. And after seeing you in action, so do I. All I ask is that you make a soldier's oath. Let your army help the people instead of oppress them. Bring honor back to this uniform."

Amy took Swift's hand and promised, "We will."

A portal opened, calling them to the other world.

_The Road to Rule_

Serah and Amy arrived in the Road to Rule, with an all-too familiar face in front of them.

Theresa shifted in her robe, as though she was a little uneasy, "With the alliance of Swift and his men, the revolution gains in strength. They will now follow your lead when the time comes." The seer faded away, leaving the two Heroes alone. Their weapons glowed gold before fading away to reveal even more advance weaponry.

Serah's sword now had a broader blade, decorated with a creature as the base of the blade itself. Her rifle was sleeker, and it looked it could pack an even bigger punch now. She was happy when she saw the bigger clip, "Sweet! Now I can shoot more things before I have to reload."

Amy's sword was a bit different, to say the least. It was more of a cutlass type of blade, with the decorated handle and fancy curvature of the blade. Her pistol had a small scope on the top, plus a bigger clip for more ammo. She grinned, "Now these we can do some real damage with."

After casting their improved magic spells, they walked through the portal and exited the Road to Rule.

_Mourningwood_

The Heroes arrived back in the dreary swamp, and they saw Alex being fussed over by several soldiers. The three fingers were bounded together, and bandages covered nearly half of his left ribs. He was trying to refuse treatment, "Look, I'm healing faster than you think! I can move my bloody fingers without crying in pain!" To prove his point, he ripped off the bindings and wiggled them.

'_But they were just broken last night! How did he do that?' _Serah wondered. Now that she thought of it, Alex also recovered from his shoulder injury really fast too. What was he?

The Spartan refrained from saying anything, as it was currently not her business. She turned away and went back to Walter, who was still with Swift.

"We're heading back to Bowerstone now. There's some people there who I'm hoping will join us," Walter told him. Swift sighed, "Then I'll wish you farewell, and all that." Walter then turned back to Ben, "And do try not to get all these lads killed will you? We're going to need all of you."

Ben scoffed, "You always know what to say to keep morale up, don't you Wally? Now get outta here." Walter waved one last goodbye to the soldiers, "Farewell, my friends."

He faced the trio, "You did well today, but this is just the start." They exited Mourningwood Fort's rear gates, and went back into the swamp. Seeing as they wanted to stretch their legs, Walter called out to them, "If you feel like exploring, go on ahead. I'll meet you at the sewers to Bowerstone. You can't miss them."

Alex twisted to one side, trying to stretch out. To Serah's surprise, he didn't flinch or make any noise of discomfort, despite the fact he had cracked several ribs the previous night.

They headed through the swamp, and the first thing they stumbled upon was a graveyard.

"If you don't mind, can we please stop here? I want to pay my respects to someone," Alex asked quietly. Amy looked back and saw how solemn the blonde looked, his hair covering his face.

"Sure," Serah answered. Alex went to the left of the graveyard, and it wasn't long before he found the gravestone he was looking for. The stone read, _'Kindly I scatter'_. He kneeled in front of it.

"Alana, I'm sorry for what I did. All I can do is pray nothing happens to your little sister because of me," Alex whispered. His vision began blurring up.

He blamed himself for the events he kept a secret, a secret darker than anything the two women could ever imagine. That's why, he's going to set things right, as well as avenge his childhood friend.

He stood up, wiping away the moisture that had been forming in his eye. He left the grave, come on; let's go to Bowerstone."

The rest of the journey through Mourningwood was mostly silent, except for the bunch of annoying hippies around the place.

"Are you sure it's considered a crime to shoot them?" Serah whispered, getting incredibly fed up with men attempting to make passes at her.

Amy sighed, "As tempting as it is, we don't need people running into the streets calling us murderers." Alex began to whistle innocently at this.

Serah spotted the entrance to the sewers, "There they are. The entrance to Revolting." Amy let out a snicker.

They entered the sewers, and realized this was going to be a much harder task.

_**Save game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: Ah, finally a normal length chapter. I want to include more drama with Alex, as he is a strange character. I mean, come on. He's faster than a Hero fighting-wise, he can heal major wounds practically in hours, and he has some sort of dark secret that he doesn't tell anyone. Anyway, this means the Bowerstone Arc is now underway, and this will be broken down into quite a few chapters. I'm thinking possibly five or six, depending. As I will be doing the one quest where the Heroes get shrunk and play some role-playing-game, there will be more romance between Serah and Amy. But I'm not going to spoil that. Review?**_

_**Ja'ne**_


	9. The Bowerstone Resistance Part 1

_**A/N: Hey, what's up? Now, it is time for the Bowerstone Arc to begin, and that means one thing: weapon upgrades~! Also, things get a bit more serious romantic-wise as well. Thanks for the support and I'll try to get more done soon. I don't own Fable or Halo; 343 Industries and Lionhead Studios are the owners.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***The Bowerstone Resistance Part 1***

_Bowerstone Industrial Sewers_

When the group entered the sewers, Walter was waiting for them. Alex began to hold his nose, "Jesus, doesn't anyone else smell shit?"

"You're not the only one," Serah muttered. Walter gave a slight chuckle at this. He began to lead them through the sewers.

"We've stared death in the face, and waded through things so foul I'd rather not think about them. But this, this is where it gets really ugly," Walter informed. Amy exited the sewers, followed by the rest of the group. There, she was in for a shock.

She had always thought Bowerstone Industrial as a booming place, with people always having a job. Instead, she saw another miserable sight. Beggars lined the streets, begging for money just to survive.

"Oh my God, I had no idea it was this bad," Amy whispered. Serah appeared behind her and put an arm around her shoulder. Walter made a gesture with his arms, showing his sadness for the sorry scene. "You can see for yourself what life outside the castle is like. Poverty, hunger, disease. Wouldn't you want to rebel against it all?"

They walked along the side, passing by several factories. To Serah's shock, she saw children working, "They don't have child-labor laws? Honestly, this is as bad as the UNSC."

The rest of the group didn't hear that last bit. They walked past the factories, and Walter began to explain the working children. "You won't find too many kids running around here. Most have no other choice than to work. It's either that, or begging."

They crossed one of the bridges in Industrial, and there seemed to be a demonstration in front of one of the factories. There, on a circular stage, a man appeared to be trying to get the crowd's attention.

"I wonder what all this is about," Walter mused. They walked closer, and the man began to rally.

"Reaver is exploiting us! We demand fair pay! We demand better working conditions," he started. The crowd showed its support. Then, they heard the sound of a cane being tapped on a railing. Alex looked up, and he clenched his fist in anger. The figure tapping the cane was tall, with dark hair, as well as a posh-looking white coat and black top hat.

The man continued his speech, ignoring the figure behind him, "We're workers; we're not slaves. Reaver treats us like animals. There's only one thing for it! We have to stand up to Reaver!" At this point, the figure drew his pistol and fired, striking him in the chest. The man fell down.

"But lying down is so much easier than standing up," the figure said. Serah was angered by this. This must be Reaver.

Reaver continued, "My dear friends, in order to boost morale, I am offering prizes to the most deserving workers. The rules that will govern what I like to call 'The Reaver Team Spirit Award' are these. Firstly, any worker that so much as murmurs another complaint will be shot." He shot the man again.

Reaver didn't let up. "Secondly, any worker that takes more than a three-second break will be shot." He shot the man for the third time, in the exact same spot!

Reaver then let out a laugh, "Thirdly, any worker who breaks any other rules I have to yet to formulate will, heheheh, yes you guessed it, be shot." He shot the man for the fourth and final time. Reaver started waving his pistol about, "You may return to work now. As you know, I'm a generous man, and likely to start handing out prizes right away!"

The crowd immediately dispersed, with help from a business man who seemed to enjoy shooting his employees. Reaver waved his pistol again, "So shoo! Be off with you! Chop chop!

Reaver then left, back into his factory, leaving the group in shock as to what they just witnessed.

Walter looked at Amy, "That's why we're here. Your brother must have been out of his mind when he handed Industrial over to Reaver. Come, we must leave now."

They left the scene, and went down towards a pub. Instead of going into the pub, Walter headed left, going down the staircase. He stopped in front of a door. "It's time you met the Bowerstone Resistance." He pushed open the door to enter the lair.

_Bowerstone Resistance Headquarters_

Walter sighed as he looked around at their surroundings. "I really love how much time we're spending in caves and sewers these days. No, really."

Alex rolled his eye, "I seriously doubt that."

Inside, there were several lights and crates. It looked like someone had quite the extensive operation going on down here.

"Walter saw the crates. "I should warn you, I'm not sure about what kind of reception we'll get. I know their leader well enough, but it was never safe for me to come down and meet the rest of them, and they're not the most trusting of people."

"Very reassuring," Serah muttered, earning a snicker from Alex.

Walter grabbed a torch and looked around. "Hello? Hello?" No one answered his calls. He turned to the group. "Maybe we got the wrong place. Let's, you know, get out and-"

"Nobody move!" a new voice ordered. The group was on the alert, as several men aimed rifles and pistols at them from various locations. Alex's hands flew to his katana and he got in a stance, ready to lash out. Serah pulled out her rifle, and Amy also had her sword out.

"We won't move if you don't shoot. Deal?" Walter asked nervously. The man scoffed, "You better tell your friends that."

Walter tried to get the trio to ease up. "It's alright. Just do as he says." Alex eased his stance, but he didn't take his hands off of his katana.

'_Make one wrong move, and he'll regret it,' _the blonde thought, still angry at the scene he saw earlier with Reaver.

"Who are you? What do you want?" the man demanded. Walter introduced himself. "I'm Walter and these are... that doesn't matter right now. We're here to speak with Page."

Another man sneered at them. "I say we shoot them." Walter began to protest, "Listen! We're on your side! Just try to hear us out!"

"I doubt that'll convince him," Alex muttered, getting back into his stance. He pulled the blade out slowly to give the rather rude bunch a warning. The man in charge ignored Walter's pleas. "We don't make deals with spies. Shoot!"

Wait!" Walter cried out desperately. The men were about to shoot when a new, female voice rang out indignantly. "Put your weapons down! I thought I gave the orders around here Kidd."

Kidd lowered his gun, looking slightly ashamed. "Sorry Page. We got a little carried away."

Page walked forward, a sword across her back and a pistol on her hip. "Good to see you again Walter."

Walter looked relieved. "I'm glad you came when you did." Page narrowed her dark eyes as she looked at the group. "I wasn't exactly expecting you." She waved for them to follow her. "Come; let's talk somewhere a bit more private."

Page gave Walter a look as she walked in front of him, "You should know by now I'm not interested in men."

"Fuck," Alex swore under his breath. Walter averted his eyes from Page's backside and began to talk. "I had this whole plan, see. But we ended up leaving the castle a lot sooner than we thought."

"I heard. Pity. Your messages were always useful," Page replied.

"I can offer you something better," Walter returned. They entered a large room, with a map in the middle. The door closed behind them, making Alex look back. No harm in being careful.

Walter gestured to Amy, "Page, I'd like you to meet-"

"I know who she is. And I thought you knew better than to bring the Princess and the military here," Page interrupted.

"These two aren't just that. They're Heroes," Walter protested.

Page rolled her eyes. "Great, give them a bloody medal." Alex became tempted to tell her off for that one. So was the Spartan.

"No, I mean, they are 'Heroes'. Like Amy's mother," Walter corrected, seeing as the Spartan was ready to lash out. Page raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Really?"

Her expression hardened, and her voice became filled with venom, "It doesn't change anything. Your brother is the reason we live underground. He's the reason we fight! How do I know they're any better?"

Walter merely shrugged, "Well, let them prove it."

Page folded her arms across her rather well-developed chest. "It's not just me they need to convince. The people of this city need someone they can believe in. Prove to me they will follow you, and then we'll talk. For now, I have work to do." She leaned over the map table.

"It looks like you two also have work to do. You have a whole city to inspire," Walter told them. At that moment, a portal appeared.

_The Road to Rule_

When Serah and Amy got to the Road to Rule, Theresa was waiting for them as always. She shifted in her cloak again.

"Today you have met the true voice of the people of this city. It is imperative you gain support of the Bowerstone Resistance, and just as imperative you two prove to Bowerstone that you can be the rightful leaders," she whispered. The seer faded away, leaving the two alone once again.

"Well shit, this just got a whole lot more difficult," Serah muttered.

"Well, any quest we now do will be told to a lot of people, so we only have to do four at the max," Amy pointed out. Serah sighed. "Ah well. It could be worse."

They stepped through the portal to head back to the sewers beneath Bowerstone Industrial.

_Bowerstone Resistance Headquarters_

Serah and Amy arrived back in the Resistance's HQ, and Walter was busy with Page and Alex. It seemed the blonde wasn't going to be joining them on this quest.

"It seems your heroism is being put to the test once again, madams. May I suggest returning to the Sanctuary to see what quests are now available?" Jasper suggested through the Guild Seals. The two Heroes used their Will and traveled back to the Sanctuary.

_The Sanctuary_

Jasper was waiting for them, and he bowed elegantly. "Madams, you will both need to get a lot of followers if you want Bowerstone to join you. May I suggest looking at the map to see what people need help?"

Serah looked at the map, and was surprised at how big Bowerstone was. There were three major districts: Industrial, Old Quarter, and Market.

She saw a trio of three people inside of a building, and the map said they needed help. She pointed to it. "Let's see what these buggers need help with."

Amy nodded in agreement. They selected the quest on the map and went to the location.

_Bowerstone Market_

Amy and Serah arrived in Bowerstone Market, and were greeted rather warmly by the people around. There were several shops, including a Blacksmith, a Pawn Shop, a pub, a potion store and a Clothing Shop. Perfect.

Serah pointed to the clothing store. "We seriously need new clothes. If I have to smell these damn things again, it'll be too soon." Amy laughed, "Agreed." From getting covered in Hobbe blood to walking through sewers, the clothes were definitely filthy. They walked into the clothing store, and began to pick out new clothes.

Serah spotted a green military uniform, and she immediately grabbed it, along with a pack of pink hair dye. She walked up to the cashier. "I'll take these."

She paid for the items, and left to go into the changing room. She applied her hair dye first, making sure to not get any on the places she didn't want. After letting the excess dye rinse out, she put on the military uniform, putting her Lieutenant ranks on the collar. She exited the changing room.

When Amy saw Serah, she let out a wolf-whistle. "You look good in that."

Several guards saw the Spartan, and they stopped to give her a salute. "Lieutenant."

Serah returned the gesture. "At ease gentlemen."

Amy held up her own clothing choices: a dark blue blouse with matching skirt. "How's this?"

Serah gave a small smile. "That'll look good on you, Little Red."

The Princess raised an eyebrow. "Little Red?"

"You don't like the nickname?"

"It's not that. It's just; no one ever gave me one."

Serah walked over and embraced the Princess, her cheeks going as red as her hair.

When they broke apart, they were aware of several open-mouthed stares men were giving them. Serah then reached for her sword, and they scurried off, not wanting meet her blade.

She waited until Amy was ready, and then they headed out of the store and into the streets. They went up towards the weapons shop, turning left and continuing down a small side path. They stopped in front of a house. Serah looked up at it. "The map says this is it."

They entered the house, not really sure as what to expect. They didn't expect three blokes talking about a bloody role-play. Great.

"So, are we all set for tonight?" one of them asked.

"Yes, but we don't have anyone who can play the Princess or the Hero," another fretted. The first one turned behind him, and he saw the two Heroes. He began to get excited. "You're Heroes! I mean, real-life Heroes! Good timing too, as we need extra people for this role-play."

Serah was confused. "Role-play?"

The man ignored her, and he pointed to each of the other blokes in cloaks. "I'm Mark, that is Jim, and he's Ben."

Mark faced the two Heroes again. "We need someone to be the Princess and someone to be the Hero. Will you do it?"

Serah raised her hand. "For once, I'll be the Princess. Amy, you're the Hero." The redhead looked uncertain, but it was too late to back out now. Mark handed them small, green orbs, and they got shrunk.

When Amy reawaked, she was in a miniature village, and the three blokes began their role-play, with Mark being the narrator.

"The Hero awakes! Long had she envisioned revenge against the Baron-"

"Get on with it!" Jim yelled in boredom. Mark sucked his teeth. "Bollocks. Anyway, the Hero found herself in the village of Lightwater, a pretty hamlet nestling under the shadow of the evil Baron's castle. The Hero resolved to talk to the townsfolk to see what she could find out about the missing Princess.

"You're kidding right? If the Hero starts talking to everyone, we'll be here all bloody night," Jim complained.

"Well, some people like to talk to the townspeople and get involved with the story more," Mark pointed out. Jim wasn't having any of it.

"That's like when you told me people read item descriptions. No one reads item descriptions! As it turns out, Arturo the Gatekeeper knew exactly what happened to the Princess," he said in a bored tone.

Amy walked through the village, ignoring the bickering between the two. She made her way to the gates, and Jim sounded happy. "Excellent! The Hero's going to speak with Arturo! Now we can get things moving." He cleared his throat and began his role.

"Greetings stranger. I can tell from your guise and Heroic demeanor that you must be on a quest to rescue the Princess. I saw her carried off by the Baron's servants; a troop of Hobbes. They took her through this gate, to the castle on the hill!" With that, the gatekeeper's role was over.

"What, that's it then? No riddles to solve or anything?" Mark asked.

"Well, first the Hero has to figure out how to get on the hill," Jim explained.

"You mean like, by climbing it?" Ben pointed out dryly, earning a snicker from Amy. Jim wasn't pleased. "Hey! No spoilers."

Amy walked up the hill until she saw the castle. It was pretty big, with a few lit torches on the walls.

"The Hero then arrived at the eerie castle on the hill," Mark narrated. Jim looked at it. "It's not very eerie though is it? Ben, you did the tower didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I thought you said 'pretty'," Ben defended. Jim face-palmed, "What kind of bloody adventure has a pretty tower on a hill?"

Mark shushed the two. "Quiet you two! I'll deal with this." All of a sudden, mist swirled around the tower, giving it a haunted look. The nighttime light improved the visuals tremendously.

"Now that's more like it!" Jim said in approval. Several wolves spawned as well, and Amy used her magic against them, as they weren't that big of a threat. The wolves yelped as the Fire/Vortex magic hit them, killing them instantly. It wasn't long before all the wolves were dead, and she headed up to the castle.

"The Hero slew the wolves, which proved to be a mighty challenge. And far more exciting than rabbits," Mark said.

"Yeah, bit predictable though," Ben yawned.

"The novelty of the rabbits dies down a bit when you realize you can't fight them though," Jim agreed. Mark rolled his eyes, "Shut up and get back to the story!"

Amy entered the castle, and the interior seemed to be a factory of sorts. All around were machines and…teddy bears?

"The Hero entered the Baron's factory," Mark read. He stopped once he saw he too saw the teddy bears. But it was Jim who beat him to it.

"Teddy bears!? What are teddy bears doing here?" he asked.

"Aren't they sweet? I put them in. Nice eh?" Ben asked. This brought out several face-palms. Jim tried to control his anger.

"Yeah, they are. They are nice. You know what we don't want in the evil Baron's castle? _Anything nice!_" he shouted. Mark quieted him again.

"Shush! Here come the Princess and the Baron!" he whispered.

Having very little experience acting wise, Serah thought of the best lines as they came to her head.

"Oh help! Somebody please help! I've been kidnapped by the evil Baron!" she cried. The Baron began to laugh, "I am the Baron, and the Princess shall be my wife. And all these bears will…well; they'll do evil things for they are evil teddy bears!"

Serah turned to him in disgust, "I shall never marry you!"

Jim grinned, "Oh, she's spirited. I like that."

Amy ran after the Baron, only to have the door close in front of her. "What the fuck?"

"Wait, the Hero can't go after the Baron just yet," Jim interrupted.

"Why's that?" Mark asked.

"The Hero's got to open the chest to defeat the Baron," Jim replied. This brought out several groans, but Mark was the only one to voice his complaint.

"Oh, that's sloppy design Jim! You shouldn't make something like that mandatory! It's a question of choice whether or not to open a chest," he complained. Jim's voice turned dark and angry in a heartbeat, scaring the shit out of Mark and Ben.

"**No one calls my design sloppy and lives. You've been warned,**" he growled. Amy rolled her eyes and opened the chest. She jumped back as a form erupted from the chest.

"A wise old man suddenly appeared before the Hero. 'Riddle me ree!' cried the old man," Jim started. Ben started to groan, "Oh no, not one of your puzzles. They're far too hard. Just let her open the chest!"

Jim ignored him, "If all Trimps are Tromps and all Tromps are Trumps, then all Trimps are definitely Trumps. True or false?"

Ben thought about it for a second, "Actually, that's rather easy." But before Amy could answer, Mark intervened, "Oh, just give her the bloody sword!"

The chest opened to reveal a sword, a close appearance to a cutlass. Jim was not happy at all, "You've ruined my puzzle! It took me ages to get the lines right! Now, she's got the sword far too easily! It should've been much harder!"

Amy grabbed the sword and walked down the hall, lit by several scattered torches. At the end of the hall was a small stage with a lever. Amy pulled on it, and the room went dark. Several annoyed sighs were heard.

"Okay, who set up the bloody lever?" Mark asked dryly.

"I thought Ben did?" Jim said, tilting his head to one side.

"Well, I thought it was Jim's job," Ben said in confusion.

"Tch, let's think of something quick," Mark muttered.

"Well, how about it releases a cloud of lovely butterflies?" Ben suggested happily. Everyone face-palmed again as several butterflies appeared.

"Worst. Game. Ever. I'm serious," Jim muttered.

"How about a standard Hollow Man encounter?" Mark suggested.

"Yeah, let's have some bloody action!" Jim yelled enthusiastically. Several wisps soared down before rising to give birth to a pack of Hollow Men. Amy drew her pistol and began to fire. She rolled out of the way of a strike, reloading her gun. When the clip was full again, she unloaded a pair of bullets into another Hollow Man's chest, killing it.

At this point, Armored Hollow Men joined the fray.

"Fuck," Amy swore to herself. She ducked a hammer swing from one and trapped it in a fiery tornado, the flames burning the body. The Armored Hollow Man fell, only to be replaced by a new one. The redhead did the same thing, trapping it in a Fire/Vortex spell that killed it off. The door on the other side opened after they were all dead.

"With the Hollow Man now vanquished, the Hero continued in pursuit of the Baron!" Mark said, getting excited again. Amy ran through the house until she reached the exit. There, she saw the Baron looking rather satisfied with himself.

"Foolish Hero, your quest ends here, for you will be devoured by the killer monsters of this ravine. Mwah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!" he laughed. Amy pressed through the ravines, until she came across the monsters. A loud cluck made her slap her head.

"And the killer monsters are…chickens? A chicken!?" Jim demanded. He was right. In the middle of the hole was a small chicken.

"Yes, I thought it was time to put in something cute, but also make us think of our relationship with food and all that," Ben explained, dead serious.

Jim groaned, "Bloody hell Ben you…wait, let me fix it." The chicken then grew to three times its original size, and was black in color. Jim was proud of his masterpiece, "There! This is no ordinary chicken. It's a fire-breathing, demon chicken!" To show the fire-breathing capabilities, a large fireball erupted from the chicken's mouth. Amy rolled her eyes and walked forward, drawing her pistol. She fired a single bullet, killing it. She walked along the ravine, coming across several chicken nests. As she killed them, she could hear the role-players arguing.

"Why the hell do you always put chickens in this?" Jim asked. He never got a reply as Amy finished off the demon chickens with ease, using her pistol to take them out.

"And the Hero triumphed over the mighty, um, chickens, of doom! Anyway, off she ran, trying to find a way out of these dark and gloomy caverns!" Mark said, getting more pumped. Amy ran out of the caves, and the Baron was right there, along with Serah.

"The Hero emerged into the light to find the evil Baron at bay!" Mark yelled. Serah called out, "Help me, Hero! You are my only hope!"

The Baron was very cross at this point, "I, the Baron, shall tolerate your meddling no longer! My elite Hobbe guard will take care of you! They hunger for human flesh!"

At this point, several Hobbes spawned, the red suited types at that.

'_Just great,' _Amy groaned inwardly as she drew her sword. She swung several times at the closet Hobbe, parting its flesh. It only took about three strikes before it died. But another took its place. And when that one died, another was in line.

Getting fed up, Amy charged her magic and cast a surround spell, a fiery vortex killing all of the Hobbes. The Baron was not pleased with this result to say the least. "I should've paid for better guards!"

Amy jumped down from the small cliff, and another group of Hobbes spawned, this time accompanied by a Summoner Hobbe. She concentrated her magic on the Summoner Hobbe, as it could summon Armored Skeleton Hobbes, and the Princess did not want to deal with that now. The first wave of Fire struck the Hobbe before the Vortex took it away, killing it. The red suited Hobbes became frightened, and several tried to run away. Talk about fucking up majorly on their part. They tried to run, only to meet several of Amy's bullets.

"If you run, you'll only die tired," she said smugly. She holstered her pistol and ran at the Baron, who rose himself up.

"I challenge you to personal combat Hero. But know that I am immune to all weapons save one, a sword that is the bane of my existence. Which there is no way you could possibly have," he said with confidence. Amy drew the sword she was given and sliced the Baron's chest open. He fell to the ground, beaten.

"No, the Bane Sword, it cannot be! No! I'm slain! Urk!" the Baron gurgled before dying. Jim wasn't happy with the result.

"What kind of rubbish game lets you kill the villain in one blow?" he demanded.

"Well, you gave the Hero that Baron's Bane Sword," Ben pointed out.

"Yeah, but it wasn't supposed to be so easy to get!" Jim said indignantly.

"Quiet you two! Let's just finish the game!" Mark said.

Serah took a deep breath, thinking about her lines carefully. "Thank you Hero. How can I ever repay you?"

With the guys' minds being in the gutter, they each thought the same thing.

"I can think of something!" Jim laughed. Mark agreed with him, "Yeah, the Hero kisses the Princess."

"Two girls kissing? A bit of a cliché," Ben muttered.

"An incredibly hot cliché," Jim muttered, eager to see some good lesbian action.

"It's the self-awareness of the cliché that makes it appealing though," Mark explained.

"An incredibly hot self-aware cliché," Jim chimed in again, leaning forward slightly.

Amy walked until she was right in front of Serah, and the Spartan whispered, "You don't have to if you're uncomfortable with it."

Amy gave a small smile. "That's not the issue." She leaned in, and placed her lips on Serah's, kissing her. Serah kissed back, and after a while they broke apart.

"And they lived happily ever after?" Ben asked.

"Well they would have, but the Baron had poisoned the Princess just moments before. Her inhumane death shrieks tormented a local unstable boy who grew up to be a vicious serial killer. And cannibal," Jim finished. Ben and Serah were beyond disgusted.

"You're sick Jim! Why the bloody hell do you always have to kill everything? Why can't we just have a happy ending?" Ben asked.

"That is a happy ending," Jim replied. Mark joined in on the debate.

"I'm with Ben. They lived happily ever after and there was little to no cannibalism," he said. Jim shook his head, annoyed.

"Oh, yeah! Great! Like I've never seen that before!" he said sarcastically. The two Heroes grew back to their normal size, and the role-players were beyond happy.

"Fantastic! Great work my friends!" Mark congratulated.

"You two have got to be the best Heroes of all time. I'm going to have my bard/sorcerer write a song about you," Ben chimed.

"Whatever," Jim muttered.

"We bestow upon you the title 'Honorary Masters of Dungeons'!" Mark yelled out.

Serah pulled Amy outside, "I want to talk."

They reached a secluded alleyway, where no one would notice them. Unless, they went out of their way to find them.

"What is it?" Amy asked, pushing a loose strand of hair out of her eyes.

Serah took a deep breath, almost as if she were embarrassed. "That kiss…did it mean anything to you?"

"Why do you ask?" Amy queried, tilting her head to one side. Serah became very flushed in the face, and she struggled to form a sentence together. "It's just…I-I li-"

'You fancy me?" Amy asked. Serah looked up, "How did…"

Amy gave a little giggle, "I see the way you look at me. It's rather cute sometimes."

Serah turned her head away, her blue gaze down. "I'm sorry."

Amy sauntered closer to her. "Now, who said it was a bad thing~?"

Serah met the redhead's green gaze, and their lips met again, this time filled with more passion. Amy's hands began to roam the Spartan's body, feeling the generous curves.

"Maybe we should take this somewhere a little more private~?" Amy suggested. Serah nodded, and they made their way to the pub, going up to the spare rooms. Amy locked the door, and faced the Spartan, "So, what would you like to do~?"

_**Warning: A very citrussy fruit is inbound**_

Serah pinned Amy to the bed. "You."

Serah's lips left Amy's and traveled down her neck, sucking on that area. This brought out several moans of pleasure from the redhead, "Serraaaaaaaaaaaah!" The Spartan continued, sucking and biting her neck. When she lifted her head, she saw a red mark on Amy's neck. "Heh-heh, got a little carried away~."

Amy began to tug at the brunette's top. "Take that off now." Serah complied, enjoying being ordered around like that. "I'll give you what you want." The Spartan pulled off her top, and Amy unclipped her bra, her C-cup breasts popping out. Amy's hand reached up and began to fondle with one, bringing several gasps from Serah. "Pl-please." Amy gave a shy smile before taking one of Serah's breasts in her mouth, sucking gently. Serah let out a satisfied moan as she felt the redhead's tongue slip over a nipple.

Amy smiled; she was doing her job. Seeing Serah beg for more was quite the sight. She continued sucking on her breast, until Serah knew she couldn't take the pleasure anymore. She pushed Amy down, her hand traveling up the redhead's creamy legs. But first, Serah wanted confirmation this is what the Princess wanted. "Are you sure?"

Amy nodded, convulsing as Serah's other hand fondled her breasts. "Y-yes." Serah pushed her skirt up, revealing a pair of black panties. "Those suit you well." Amy looked up as though to give her a playful glare, but she stopped as Serah removed her panties, leaving her bare. Serah leaned up to kiss her again before inserting a finger into the redhead's clit. And that was when it got to a whole new level.

Amy's body was filled with pain briefly, soon replaced by bliss. She gave the 'okay' signal, and Serah inserted another finger before thrusting them in and out of her clit.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Amy moaned, persuading Serah to continue with her actions. She sped up, thrusting quicker and deeper. Amy's moans grew louder with each thrust. Serah curled her fingers inside, rubbing that spot, and Amy couldn't take the pleasure any more. Her thighs began to shake. "Se-serah! I'm go-going t-to cum!"

Serah leaned forward to give Amy another passionate kiss. "Cum for me." That whisper is what did it for her. Amy's hips bucked twice, and she moaned as her liquids covered Serah's fingers. The redhead began to pant, her first orgasm taking a lot out of her. She watched as Serah licked her fingers clean. "Mm, you do taste quite good."

Serah climbed into bed with Amy, worn out from their little session.

"We definitely need to do that again sometime," Amy panted. She added, "Oh, and by the way, I love you."

Serah kissed her. "I love you too." They fell asleep together, for the first time as an official couple. All started up from a role-play.

_**Save game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: *scratches back of head* I seriously wonder if it was way too soon to put a lemon in this, but I needed to satisfy some perverts who decided to spam my account with the bloody messages saying' Put a lemon please!'. I got fed up and did it, and I wonder how I did. Anyways, leave your comments, questions, concerns, or any other thoughts you have. I'll see you on the other side. Review?**_

_**Ja**_

_**Fun fact: This was written while listening to Scott Pilgrim: Another Winter.**_


	10. The Bowerstone Resistance Part 2

_**A/N: I wasn't sure how the feedback from adding the lemon would turn out, but I'm not too worried about it now. All that matters is getting the next part of this out. I have the quests in mind for this, and Alex will be making a return in this chapter, but he'll be somewhere near the end. I don't own Fable or Halo; Lionhead Studios and 343 Industries are the respective owners.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***The Bowerstone Resistance Part 2***

_Bowerstone Market_

Serah woke up, and she saw she was the first to be up. Memories of last night entered her mind, and she smiled, remembering how she had made Amy feel good in a whole new way. Hearing the redhead moan like that was a dream come true.

Amy stirred next to her, blinking her green eyes. "Morning."

Serah leaned down and kissed her. "Morning to you, too." She stood up for Amy to get out of bed.

"What time is it?" she yawned, stretching her body.

"About noon or so," Serah replied. Amy got dressed, and they headed downstairs. When they got down, they got some food and left, looking around town.

"Is there anyone in trouble that you can see?" Serah asked. Amy shook her head. "Nothing." They were about to leave when Jasper took it upon himself to talk to them. "If you want to, you can use the map to find that out again. I was about to contact you last night, but you were, um, busy." Amy turned a bright red upon mention of their 'session' last night. "Shut it Jasper."

Serah gave a slight chuckle. "We'll be there in a minute Jasper. See you soon." The butler left them alone, and Serah turned back to Amy. "You're still nervous about last night?"

Amy blushed, and looked away shyly. "It's just it was my first time, and I'm still a tad nervous." Serah gave her a comforting hug. "You're so cute when you're shy." Amy turned redder than her hair. "Serah!"

The Spartan gave out a laugh. "Anyway, let's go see what other people need help."

_The Sanctuary_

Jasper was waiting for them, and he seemed embarrassed about something. "Now, I believe I had the massive misfortune of hearing both of you indulge in your fantasies last night." Amy turned redder than her hair. "Jasper!"

The butler let out a chuckle. "Just teasing you madam. Now, please go ahead and see who needs any help. This is one of the most important cities to gain support of."

Serah looked at the map of Bowerstone, and saw a woman in Bowerstone Industrial who seemed to be in great distress. She pointed at the location. "There we go. Let's see what this woman needs." Both Heroes glowed blue and went to the location.

_Bowerstone Industrial_

Both Heroes arrived in Industrial, and they were in front of what seemed to be a homeless shelter. In front, a couple of beggars were talking with a woman.

Serah began the trek over to them. "Let's see what they are up to." Amy followed her, and they could hear snippets of the conversation.

"Look, I'm sorry, but you'll have to find somewhere else tonight," the woman said sadly. One of the beggars gave her a snarky reply, "Somewhere else? And where might that be? I'll freeze to death on the streets. That's if Logan's goons don't bash my skull in first."

"You think you're the only one who has problems?" the woman asked indignantly. Her shoulders slumped, her fight gone. "Look, I wish I could help, but I can't."

The woman watched them go with a sad look. She turned around, and saw the two Heroes standing behind her. She folded her arms across her chest. "I hope you're not looking for a place to stay, because this place is about to close down for good. I have to sell the building to pay the ransom; it's the only way to get my fiancé back."

"Your future husband was kidnapped?" Serah asked, her hands reaching for her rifle. The woman looked defeated, and she kicked the ground angrily. "Damn that Ferret and his gang, they've got everyone living in fear, even me. They've been harassing the local homeless for weeks, but this is outrageous." She eyed the Heroes up, seeing if they were strong enough for the job. Satisfied, she continued, "Perhaps if you two went up there with me, maybe you could show them what fear really is."

Serah agreed quite quickly. "Consider it done." Amy agreed with her new lover. "They fuck with the poor, they deal with us." The woman's face hardened. It wasn't hard to imagine her as a fighter in the upcoming battle. "Good. It's about time those thugs faced justice, and I mean the rough kind." She led them up to a house across the street, with bars on the door window. "I know where they are. They demanded I give them the ransom in a week's time. But I'll give them something better."

She knocked on the door, and a face appeared on the other side, laughing. "Linda, you've cost me a bit of gold love. I bet old Harry it would take you the full week to get the money. You're an industrious one aren't you?"

Linda was getting fed up with the man. "Just open the bloody door Keith. Let's have done with this."

Keith opened the door, inviting them inside. "The cellar's just down there." Then he saw the two Heroes and began to panic. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on. Who are your friends?" He had good reason to panic, as both Amy and Serah looked as though they wanted to tear him to pieces. Linda folded her arms, more confident now. "In your terms, they're the bagmen. And that gold doesn't leave their hands until my husband has walked out of your fetid little den."

Keith put his arms up. "Alright, no need to get all uppity. Just watch yourselves around Mr. Ferret, or things will get unfriendly fast." The group saw the cellar entrance, and they entered the hideout of Ferret's gang.

_The Cesspool_

After they descended the stairs, the hideout was in full view. It looked like it went on for quite a while, and at the end was a man wearing a business suit, different from all the other thugs drinking at the tables scattered around. When he saw Linda, his smile grew to smug proportions. "Ah Linda. It pleases me to know this conflict has been solved with a satisfying resolution. Your associates may dispose of their funds by piling them upon the table." This must be Ferret.

Linda snorted. "There's no gold Ferret. Now, you let my fiancé go from whatever filthy corner you're keeping him in, or my associates will start collecting heads. And piling them upon the table." Ferret chuckled, amused. "My initial judgment of your character was clearly misguided. You possess some heart after all." He turned to his men, smirking. "Lads, tear it out." Ferret then disappeared behind a metal door.

"Fucking coward," Serah growled as the thugs began to stand up and draw their weapons. Serah smirked, amused by the predictability of the men. Her hands began to glow, and she unleashed a surround Shock/Ice Storm spell, killing the men instantly. "Too easy."

It was too easy, as the men were not exactly the sharpest tools in the box, and Amy picked them off with her pistol in seconds, the wounds still smoking. She holstered her pistol, twirling it in her fingers. "Wow, that was rather easy."

Linda was pounding on the door. "Your men are dead, Ferret. Unless you want to join them, let us in." The hurried frightened reply came on the other side. "It's open!"

They pushed the metal door open, and Ferret was sitting on a lone chair, nothing in his hands. Linda walked straight to him, pulled out a pistol, and aimed at his head. "You brought this on yourself Ferret. This didn't have to happen."

Ferret gulped, fear in his eyes. "It still doesn't. I am no threat without my men, and I'm only too happy to hand back your fiancé. I can be quite accommodating." Linda waved her gun. "Get on with it."

Ferret looked at the sky, a bit nervous. "Well, you see, he's not on the premises, currently. I had him located in a nearby, facility, shall we say. That access hatch will provide you with, well, access." Linda looked to where his finger was pointing. "The sewer? You fellows are a sophisticated lot." She turned back to the Heroes. "Please, go and get him. I'll keep an eye on Ferret." The crime lord seemed a bit nervous, muttering about having a gun pointed at him.

The two Heroes paid him no attention. Serah swan dived into the water below; thankful it was only water and not sewage. Amy splashed next to her. "I'm glad this can dry out and we won't smell like shit."

A man was sitting on the land leading away. He stood up, fixing his glasses. "Who are you? What do you want? Where's Linda?"

Serah opened her mouth to lash out, only to be stopped by Amy. "Linda sent us to rescue you." the man raised an eyebrow. "Really? I'm not sure if I should trust a pair of absolute strangers."

Amy rolled her eyes, grabbed the man's hand, and led the way out. The man gave out a small sigh. "Ah well, I suppose it is a bit daft hanging around here." They left the area they were in, and the path grew. The air was humid and thick, and they heard the very familiar chirping of bats.

"Look out! Bats!" the man cried out. The Heroes already knew of their presence and began to charge their magic. When the bats got near, both of them released surround spells, and the bats died instantly. The man seemed to be relieved. "Thank you, those things are ghastly." Serah had pulled out her rifle and scanned the area for any more threats. "We're clear. I'll have your backs."

Amy led the man through, going up a stone walkway with a rather large drop on either side. Serah didn't even bother to look down. "I value my lunch too much to observe where I'll die if I fuck up." The stone walkway led to another dimly lit cavern, and Serah groaned when she saw the creatures up ahead. "We got Hobbes." Amy led the man into hiding, and let the Spartan do her work. Serah was a walking force of death, slicing Hobbes bodies in half with one slash. The amount of blood covering the ground was a lot, to say the least. They were all dead, and Serah was about to give them the all clear when another pack showed up."Well, never the fuck mind then."

Serah pulled out her rifle, rolling a considerable distance away. She fired four shots, and four Hobbe bodies hit the ground. The man was even more thankful. "Thank you for taking care of them. Hobbes, right? Ugh, they're as disgusting as I imagined they would be. They say Hobbes were children led astray by shadows. I hate to think how many end up down here."

"You and me both," Amy muttered. They were now in the actual sewers themselves, although the ground was dry, so no sewer water splashed up. The man continued talking. "If you had told me a year ago that I would be trudging through the sewers of Bowerstone Industrial, I'd have said you were mad. If you told me today, I'd still say it. Because it is mad, and there's no other way to look at it."

"Serah waved them along. "Clear. You can move up." Amy led the man, who seemed to never shut up. "I know who's behind all of this, by the way: Reaver. Nothing happens in Industrial without his say-so. To think such an important scoundrel had me abducted, it's uncanny. It's going to be a good day when Reaver falls. He's caused a lot of harm to a lot of good people."

'_I found out two things today. One of them is that Reaver controls all of Industrial. The other is that this guy never shuts the fuck up,' _Serah thought dryly. She refrained from saying those words out loud though, as they really didn't need the people thinking they were rude assholes.

"We should be nearly there. Nearly back to… Linda," the man said, almost as if he didn't want to be with his future wife. They reached a metal door, and they were about to open it when the man called them back. "Wait, there's something I need to tell you. You were amazing back there. I mean, you are amazing. That was the word I would describe Linda to my mates. But next to you, she looks a bit boring now, doesn't she?"

Serah had already reached for her sword, but a sharp look from Amy stopped her from punching him with the handle. Amy faced him. "Not interested in men. Stay with your wife."

The man sighed. "You're right. Better to stay with her. I can't do much better anyway." They opened the door, and Linda was lying on the floor, unconscious. The man cried out, "Linda!"

Linda woke up, and she looked awful. "Gerald…ow, my head! That weasel Nigel Ferret must have struck me when my back was turned. Oh love, it's good to have you back." Linda hugged Gerald, and Serah's lip curled. He was ready to leave her less than a minute ago, and now he's going to act like it never happened? What bullshit.

Amy placed her hand on the Spartan's shoulder. "Let it go." Linda turned to both of them, gratitude on her face. "You saved the love of my life. I'm in your debt. Thank you so much."

Serah turned away, not wanting to hear anymore of Gerald. _'He's really despicable for that.' _

They exited the hideout, heading back into Bowerstone Industrial.

_Bowerstone Industrial_

When they exited the house and were back on the streets, they saw a very familiar blonde at the pub, drinking away. Serah rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? No, seriously." Amy laughed at her comment. "He likes his alcohol."

They walked into the pub, and Alex looked up as they entered. "Well, look who it is. Care to join for a drink?" Serah shook her head and dragged him out, triggering a protest. "What did I do this time!?"

Once out of the pub, they then traveled to their little hideaway.

_The Sanctuary_

Serah looked at the map, saw a quest in Bowerstone Market, and smirked at the objective. The blonde would definitely be perfect for this situation. She pointed to it. "Blondie will finally have a job here for once."

With a bright flash, both Heroes left the Sanctuary and headed back into town.

_Bowerstone Market_

They had arrived at the market, with Alex grumbling as usual. "I really hate that." Amy ignored him and pointed down to a man underneath Bowerstone Bridge. "I think that's our man." They walked down the stairs leading under the bridge, and the man was pleased to see them. "I hear you know how to use those weapons of yours. Well, I got someone for you to use them on."

Alex perked up immediately, as this is what he was best at. "I'm interested. Who is it?"

The man had a grim look on his face. "A bloke by the name of Allen. He's a gambler, notorious for not paying his debts and cheating. He robbed me last night. Took almost a thousand gold. I know it sounds very silly to have someone you don't like be murdered, but I've made up my mind. Will you do it?"

Alex looked at Amy and Serah. "What do you think?"

Serah thought about it. "Well, do the guards want him dead as well?" The man looked away. "They can't catch him. Every time someone alerts them, he's gone. Hell, the general public wants him dead, save for a few of his gambling buddies."

Alex flexed his shoulders. "I'll do it. It's the only thing I'm good at anyway." The last words had a sense of bitterness to them. The man began to look hopeful. "Good. Now, he should be somewhere in Bowerstone Industrial, trying to get a game in a pub. Good luck." He turned away before muttering, "You'll need it."

Alex led the two Heroes away, his hands resting on his katana. "The target should be in a pub, huh? This is interesting." He ran through the streets, not stopping until he reached his destination.

_Bowerstone Industrial_

Alex began to catch his breath as he reached Industrial. The Heroes arrived shortly after. Serah walked up to him first. "Are you absolutely positive you want to take this gambler's life?" The blonde met her blue gaze unflinchingly. "Yes." He walked down Industrial's streets, searching for a pub. He found one, and there was the target, rubbing his hands gleefully.

"Fuck," Alex swore, seeing the gambler was not alone. There were several other innocents in the pub as well, and he did not want his work to be seen by anyone. The gambler was muttering quietly under his breath, "I can see the gold I'm about to steal from these dimwitted idiots." Alex's grip on his katana grew until his knuckles were white. He sat on a street lamp, waiting for the gambler to leave. "Come on out, you little thieving bastard."

It was several hours before Allen decided to leave the pub, and by that time he had made quite the collection of money. Laughing about it, the gambler walked out of the pub, heading for the dark alleyways of Industrial. And that's when Alex made his move.

He jumped onto the balconies of the houses, leaping from one to the other. When he had gotten Allen in a dead end, leaving the gambler wondering what the hell happened, he taunted his food a little. "Well, well, well; look what we have here. The notorious cheating gambler Allen himself."

Allen began panicking, looking for the source of the voice. "W-who's there? Please, don't kill me!" His pleas fell on deaf ears, as Alex swooped down. "Your time in this world is over, Allen." Alex dashed forward, and in a single lightning-fast motion, cut the gambler in two. Blood splashed on the ground, staining it crimson. Alex wiped the blood off of his blade. "Now, no one will have to fear getting robbed by you again." Several footsteps were heard behind him, and it was a group of the gambler's cronies, with their pistols drawn. Alex smirked, grabbed his pistol, and fired four times, each shot hitting a gang member in the head. Four bodies hit the ground, and Alex ran forward at the remaining member, his sword in hand.

"Don't bother trying to run. You'll only die tired, "Alex sneered as he drew his pistol, pointing it at the man's head with his sword at his throat. The man was whimpering in fear. "P-please don't. I will never gamble again."

Alex's smirk grew. "I know that." In one swift motion, he decapitated the man, a fountain of blood rising from the wound. Alex left the body sitting there, not wanting to dirty his hands even more. Serah and Amy were outside the pub, waiting, and they seemed relieved that the blonde was okay. "Quite a bit of gunfire there. We thought you might've gotten hit."

Alex scoffed, "Please, you would know if I got hit." Serah didn't feel like returning the comment back, and she saw the bodies in the street. She pointed to them. "You know, that's not exactly inconspicuous." Alex shrugged. "Don't care."

Rolling their eyes, Amy and Serah led the blonde back to the man in the market, waiting to see if Allen was indeed dead.

_Bowerstone Market_

They headed under bridge where the man was earlier, and sure enough, he was eagerly waiting. "Is he dead?" Alex held up Allen's hand, sliced off from earlier. "The target has been eliminated. He will only be gambling in Hell. Also, here's your money." The man began to clap. "Thank you, thank you! I have my money back. And others will be happy to hear he is dead as well."

He left, quite happy now. This left the group seriously wondering what went on in the man's head. Serah shook her head. "Right then, back to the Sanctuary."

_The Sanctuary_

Serah and Amy looked at the map again, looking at different towns this time. Serah spotted someone in Brightwall who needed help, and it looked like Alex would be useful in this as well. "I think Blondie will be helpful again." Amy joined her. "Well, what is it?"

Serah looked a bit sad. "This couple has had enough of each other it seems, and they want to divorce. Can't blame 'em." There was a brilliant blue flash, and they went to break up a annoyed couple.

_Brightwall_

Alex grunted as he landed. "Don't ever do that again." Serah gave him a slap. "Quit bitching. We have a couple to break up." Alex yawned in boredom. "Great, let me know how it goes." Serah gave him a hard stare. "You're going to do it."

The blonde began to protest. "Wait, what!?"

Amy sighed. "You're the one complaining that all you ever do is kill people. I know for a fact that was what you were implying earlier in Bowerstone, don't try to deny it. Now, you have a chance for something different."

Alex sighed. "I take it there is no way out of it?" Amy gave him a stare. "No." The former merc took a deep breath, resigning to it. "Alright, I'll do it. I just hope I can get a beer or two in the process." He walked up the path, looking for the house. He turned right at the top of the hill, and he saw a couple arguing. He jogged over to catch some of it. The man in front of the house was pleading to his wife. "Please, dear, just let me in the house. I promise, I'll make it up to you."

The woman scoffed. "I've heard that before. The first few times you disappointed me, your clumsiness was sort of adorable in its way, but it's gotten old, hasn't it?"

The man was going on his knees at this point. "Please, let's not argue; it's so awful." The woman turned away, heading back into the house. "Awfully boring, you mean. Perhaps if you ever won, it would be more interesting." With those last words, she closed the door. The man gave up. He turned to Alex, a sad expression on his face. "When I married my wife, she was all happiness and smiles. Now, she's all bitterness and bile."

Alex gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?" The man perked up, interested. He looked the blonde up and down. "Well, maybe you could pretend to love her, and she'll leave me after seeing how interesting you are. I don't want her anymore."

Alex pushed a strand of his hair out of his eye. "Any advice on how to seduce her?"

The man scoffed. "Just shower shiny trinkets, and she'll be all over you. It worked for me." He turned to the house. "She's inside. I'll go to the pub to get out of your way." Alex nodded. "Okay."

The man left, and Alex decided to improvise his outfit. He took off his gloves and top, leaving him shirtless. Serah and Amy, who were watching from the bushes, gave a few wolf-whistles at the sight of his body. With his nicely sculpted abs, shoulders, and biceps, he could easily seduce any woman. He tossed the pair his clothes. "Hold these."

He walked into the house, and the woman was standing with her back turned. She heard the door open, and didn't seem pleased. "What is it now? Don't tell me you want to talk about things." She turned around, and saw Alex. Her eyes racked his muscular form, and she was on him in a heartbeat. Her hands traveled over his sculpted chest. "I'm so sorry; I thought you were my husband. I can't imagine how I mistook someone like him for someone like you. Is there anything I can do for you?"

'_Here it goes,' _Alex thought. He picked up her hand, kissing it. "My name is Alex, my lady. May I ask what is yours?" The woman was practically begging for him. "Veronica. You have such a great body, mm." Alex continued to let her hands roam his chest, feeling every last inch. He gave a smirk. "You like what you see?"

Veronica gave a dramatic sigh. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't." Alex smirked inwardly. _'This is too easy. Even Alana put up more resistance than this.' _He took Veronica's hand and began dancing with her, her eyes locked on him. They waltzed for several minutes, until Veronica was out of breath. She was panting. "I must say, it is very fun flirting in my husband's house. He's so dull; all he ever does is gardening or something. He never does anything nice for me, like get me a piece of jewelry. I adore jewelry, by the way."

'_That's rather easy for me then,' _Alex thought. He reached into the pocket of his trousers, pulling out a necklace. "How's this?" Veronica's eyes lit up, and she began to clap. "Oh, that is perfect! It's so beautiful!"

Veronica put on the necklace, marveling at how it looked on her. She then faced Alex again. "Say, what do say we make a go out of this? I'll leave my boring husband, and we can be together?" Alex froze. He didn't have a house, but a certain someone in Brightwall owed him one from back as a merc. He kissed her on the cheek. "Wait here, love." He walked out of this house, heading for the home closest to the Academy. He knocked on the door, and it opened to reveal a tired looking crimson haired girl. "Hey Alex. What do you want?"

The blonde smiled at his old friend. "Hey Little Red. You remember that deal you made a couple of months back?" Red nodded. "Yeah. You can have it. Yellow and I got a place in Bowerstone." Alex perked up at the mention of her older sister. "How is Mira?" Red sighed. "Same as usual. Last week, she took out a couple of molesters. Let's just say it wasn't pretty."

Alex gave a chuckle. "I'm not surprised. But, as much as I hate to say it, I need the house." Red gave him a sly grin. "I figured you'd be in town. I heard of your work a few weeks ago. Took out a murderer in the middle of a pub, huh?" Alex snorted. "He deserved it."

Red laughed and waved him in. "Go on in. Mira took all of our stuff to the place in Bowerstone already. I'm just here to see that you get the house." Alex gave his old friend a hug. "Thanks Red." Red left, calling back, "All the essentials are still there, so don't worry about sleeping on the floor or starving to death."

Alex chuckled. "Bye Red." He looked around the house, seeing the kitchen was in good shape, as well as the dining area. A few cupboards were in slight need of repairs, but otherwise everything was good. Even the bed was above standard quality. Satisfied, he left the house, and headed back to Veronica.

Veronica was still inside the house, and she was eagerly awaiting his return. "You've got a nice house, I must say. What do you say we go to Brightwall Bridge? It's my favorite place in town."

'_Okay, if I have to deal with this for the rest of my life, I really don't want to get married,' _Alex thought. Nevertheless, he took Veronica's hand, walking down the streets to the bridge. Once they were there, Veronica took the blonde closer and kissed him, her lips dominating his. Not that he minded. He kissed her back, and when the broke apart, Veronica's eyes were gleaming. That sent slight shivers up the blonde's spine. _'Oh God, what's she about to ask now!?'_

Veronica spoke, so softly Alex almost didn't hear it. "You've gotten a ring, I see." Alex looked down at his hand, and mentally swore. _'Fuck.' _Veronica leaned forward a bit, letting Alex get a good view of her cleavage. "You've got a ring, you've got a house. My, you are going to be very hard to resist aren't you? go ahead and ask, and we'll see how strong my resistance is."

'_Fuck,' _Alex swore mentally again. Still, he got down on one knee. "Will you marry me?" He was praying she said no. unfortunately, her resistance was very weak.

"Yes!" she cried. _'Goddammit all to Hell and back!' _Alex thought as she replied. Keeping his annoyance hidden, he slipped the ring on her finger. Veronica bounced up and down. "Wait, I have to tell me husband I'm leaving him. Come on." She ran up the hills, townspeople sighing in pity as they saw the blonde following her.

"Yet another victim to that witch's clutches," a stall vendor said sadly. Inside, the blonde was smirking. _'They don't know that Red gave me a little information on her. She's a gold digger, a liar, and a thief. Thank you Red.' _

Veronica was inside the house already, with her husband. "I have news for you, and you're not going to like it. That breaks my heart, truly. I've decided, that we're not right for each other. Or rather, you're not right for me. So here are the divorce papers. You may consider yourself, an ex-husband William."

William gave Alex a sly grin, which the blonde returned. "Oh dear, I don't know what to say. Other than, thank you for doing what I knew you would." Veronica's jaw fell on the floor. "What? You mean you planned this all along?"

William was beside himself. "I'm afraid so. I'll file these with the town clerk first thing tomorrow, then we are officially history." Veronica gave Alex a look. "My, aren't you a piece of work. You conspire with a husband to leave his wife penniless. Oh, how cold." She looked him up and down, noticing the pistol strapped to his side. She looked him in the eye again. "I wonder, just how despicable are you willing to be? Because if I'm right; if William doesn't make it out alive, that paper doesn't get to the divorce office. And instead of marrying a hot-blooded divorcee, you'd be landing a very wealthy widow."

William turned around, shock on his face. "You can't mean... you'd kill me!?" Veronica shook her head. "Technically, he'd kill you. Sorry dear, but it is an awful amount of money. You've left me no choice."

William faced the former merc, fear in his eyes. "Don't listen to her! You can just walk away! This isn't about you anymore!" Alex gave a grin. "I know that." He walked up to the couple, before pointing his pistol at Veronica. "You are wanted by the Brightwall guards for several accounts of theft. Not to mention, you are one despicable person, and your husband is better off without you."

Veronica was in shock as several Brightwall guards entered the house, pointing their rifles at her. "You are under arrest!" She put her arms up, and was then handcuffed in a span of three seconds. Alex motioned to the woman. "Take her away."

The guards dragged Veronica away, and William was glad to be rid of her. "Thank you, thank you so much. I can't ever repay you." Alex shook the man's hand. "Don't worry. I doubt you'll have to deal with her again anytime soon." As he left the house, Serah and Amy were still waiting with his shirt and katana. The Spartan threw the items to him. "We heard. Quite a sneaky bastard aren't you?"

Alex shrugged. "If I had to deal with that woman, I'd have jumped from Brightwall Bridge." Then came along Jasper.

"You have managed to impress the city of Bowerstone, and its residents. Perhaps you should return to that rather dreary hole your new allies call home," he suggested. Serah chuckled. "Were on our way." She faced the two. "Shall we?" In a brilliant flash, they headed back to Bowerstone Industrial.

_**Save game… Quit**_

_**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update, but I was struggling with this chapter a bit. Still, I hope you enjoyed it. Next up is the Masquerade, which I'm sure many of you are eagerly waiting for. That will be where Alex's true identity is revealed, much to the Heroes surprise. But, I won't spoil it. Questions, comments, concerns, or any other feedback is appreciated. I'll see you soon. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	11. The Masquerade

_**A/N: I'm sorry for the late update, but I had to deal with some tragic shit, as someone I loved just died. Hell, I'm still crying about it. But, I'm going to move on, knowing that's what she'd want me to do. I don't own Fable or Halo; 343 Industries and Lionhead Studios own the respective rights.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***The Masquerade***

_Bowerstone Industrial_

Amy, Serah, and Alex were back in Bowerstone Industrial, and were on their way to meet Page in the Resistance Headquarters. Alex was happy that for once he got to do something that didn't involve killing.

"Any ideas on what our next move is?" the blonde asked, stretching his body. Serah shook her head. "I would say we would go after Reaver, but we don't have any intel on him whatsoever. Kind of frustrating, knowing he's around but we can't find him."

"I'm with you on that," Amy agreed, pushing several strands of red hair from her eyes. Alex's jaw and fists clenched at the mention of Reaver. The business man was known to him by another name: the Hero of Skill. His excellent marksmanship from when he shot the protester a day ago was proof of that.

The group walked under the bridge by a pub, thankfully not the one Alex killed Allen outside of. Serah spotted the heavy metal door, and she pushed it open before heading back into the rebellion headquarters.

_Bowerstone Resistance Headquarters_

Alex grumbled as water from the sewers splashed up, hitting him in the legs. "I really hate walking in this." Serah rounded the corner, and she was surprised to see Major Swift. The Major was pleased to see them. "Ah, the rebel princess and Lieutenant. I'm on my way to report to your brother at the castle, and find out about his troop movements while I'm there. Ben's in the back, arguing with Page and Luna. Ben has a way with the fairer sex; a strange, troubled way. Tally-ho."

Serah gave a laugh. "It sounds like Ben has his hands full. Not too surprised."

Alex gave a sigh. "I hope he knows he's trying to hit on two women who aren't interested in men. And no, I don't mean you two."

Serah gave Amy a kiss on the cheek, making the redhead blush. "I can't help it; she's so cute."

"I noticed," Alex returned dryly. Serah smirked. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet."

Amy managed to turn an even darker shade of red. "Serah!" The Spartan began whistling innocently. Alex sighed and shook his head. He walked ahead of them, muttering under his breath. "Don't have sex while I'm around."

"Killjoy," Serah returned. They entered the main room, and Swift was right about Ben. The Captain was persistent about his shooting prowess.

"I'm telling you, I downed three Hollow Men with one shot; it's true!" he exclaimed. Page scoffed. "I've never trusted a soldier in my life, and I'm sure as not going to start now."

Ben turned to Walter for help. "Walter, will you tell her?" The old soldier snickered, amused by all of this. "I'm not getting involved."

Ben turned his back to Page. "Fine. I'll just stand here quietly." Luna wrapped her arms around Page. "Give it a rest boy. She's not interested in men." To prove that, Page leaned in and kissed Luna. Alex yawned. "Called it." Luna gave the blonde a glare, but her cheeks were flushed red.

Page broke apart from Luna, and she faced Amy and Serah. "A lot of people are more hopeful now. They really are starting to believe in you two."

Walter gave a smile. "I knew you would get along in the end."

"Thank you for giving a damn about my social life, but we have more important matters ahead," Page said dryly. Walter nodded in agreement. "Reaver." Alex's eye blazed in anger again, but no one noticed.

"He's been bleeding the city dry for years, but it has never been this bad. We decided it was time to hit back," Page explained.

"A small group of fighters made it into his mansion, but they haven't come out," Walter continued. Page shot him a look before announcing her thoughts. "I believe they are still alive. I want you to help me find them."

"Reaver hosts some sort of fancy, secret society party every night. We don't know what goes on inside, but we do know what the guests look like," Walter put in. Page held out three outfits for Serah, Amy, and Alex. "Here. You'll have to wear this."

"Great, where's my costume?" Ben asked hopefully. Page shot him down. "No."

The soldier's jaw dropped. "What, I still can't come? Even after the three Hollow Men story? Honestly, this is as bad as the army!"

Page poked him hard in the chest. "I'll need you, Walter, and Sweetheart over here to make sure no one unauthorized gets into this place." She straightened up. "Now, everyone but Luna get out. I have a party to dress for."

Ben was hoping to see some good lesbian action, and he attempted to stay. "I'll stay and make sure no one spies on you." Page pulled out her sword and pointed it at him. "Out."

Ben gave up, and he walked towards the exit. "You know, I'm having serious doubts about our relationship." This brought out several annoyed sighs from Serah, Page, and Amy.

The soldier continued to grumble. "I knew I should have gone up to the castle with Swift."

"I just love how soldiers can come in and out of our 'secret' hideout now," Page said sarcastically. She turned back to Serah. "Wherever you go, don't let Mr. Finn follow you. I've had enough of him for one day. I'll see you at Reaver's manor."

Alex left, and he was waiting for Amy and Serah, most of his disguise already on. It consisted of black slacks, black shoes with red bottoms, a red buttoned shirt, a black trench coat, and a white mask with red markings covering his face. **(A/N: RWBY reference)**

"Wow, you look pretty good in that," Serah commented. It was true, as several women outside gave wolf whistles at the sight of him. Alex gave a sly grin. "I know that." Serah took Amy's hand and transported them to the Sanctuary to get changed. When they were done, they all looked liked fancy party goers. Serah adjusted her mask. "Alright, we need to head through Bowerstone Market to get to the location. Reaver's house is in Millfields, just down the road from Bowerstone Bridge."

Amy fixed the dress, the edges trailing. "Let's go then."

After a brilliant blue flash of light, the group was in the market again.

_Bowerstone Market_

They arrived in the market, and Alex realized something important. "Guys? We're broke. We don't have any money."

Serah checked her pockets, and saw the blonde was correct. "Shit, maybe we shouldn't have drunk so much."

Amy shrugged. "It was worth it at the time though."

Serah gave a sigh. "Look, after we're done with this, we'll go find a job or two to bring in some cash, but for right now we got a massive task ahead."

They pressed on, and after they crossed the bridge, they entered the richest area in Albion.

_Millfields_

When the group entered Millfields, the first thing they saw was the Monorail Station and mine at the bottom of a hill. When they reached the bottom, Alex put an arm out to stop them. "Wait. Something isn't right about this."

Serah already had her rifle out. "I can feel it. Like someone's watching us."

Amy drew her pistol, and focused on the slight movement in the trees above them. "This isn't good." She fired, and a bandit's body hit the ground, dead. Several more jumped from the trees, one of them gleefully shouting, "Look at the money bags on these ones! We're going to be rich!"

Alex smiled cruelly. "No, you're going to be dead." He dodged a sword swing, and stabbed the bandit through the back. The blonde pulled his sword out, and confronted the leader of the bandits, a tall man holding his fists in a fighting stance.

"Fight me man-to-man. No weapons, no tricks," the bandit said. Alex dropped his sword and pistol in a pile. "Done."

Alex ran forward, ducking under the bandit's fists. He swung his leg up, catching the bandit in the chest. As he stumbled back, Alex let loose a flurry of punches, breaking the bandit's jaw. As a cry of pain escaped the bandit's lips, Alex slammed his foot down on the man's skull, killing him. The blonde dusted down his clothes. "That's why you don't challenge me to hand-to-hand combat."

All of the bandits were dead, and they proceeded through the woods to Millfields. When the trees ended, they were in for quite a pretty view.

"Wow, that's beautiful," Serah breathed. At the bottom of the hill was Bower Lake, the water crystal clear, with a gazebo in the middle. It was perfect for couples who were in the area, and the homes on the lakeshore proved that this area truly was very wealthy. At the far side was a massive mansion, easily twice the size of the other homes.

Serah pointed to it. "That must be Reaver's. Shame, he's got a nice place, but he's a git." They ran over along the shores of the lake, and it was only a few minutes before they reached Reaver's manor. Waiting for them out front was Page, wearing her disguise.

"Mmm, that really does suit you. It brings out the color in your eyes," she said as she observed Amy and Serah. Page motioned for them to enter. "Shall we?"

_Reaver's Manor_

When the group entered the manor, a butler was waiting for them. "Bit late aren't you? You've missed half the rituals and all the drinking. All we've got left is fizzy pop."

"Erm, we apologize," Page said awkwardly. The butler scratched his hair. "Oh yeah? Well, tell me the password, and we'll forget all about it alright?"

'_Fuck!' _Serah swore mentally. They hadn't counted on that. Page was surprised too. "Erm, the password…"

The butler laughed good-heartedly. "Nah, I'm just pulling your leg. Come on in." the group let out a sigh of relief. So far so good. The butler led them through the manor. "I'm sure Master Reaver will be happy to have a few more conscious people for the final ceremony. I wasn't kidding about the fizzy pop though. These bloody lightweights drank the lot. There's probably some cooking sherry in the kitchen if you're desperate."

"I'll pass," Alex muttered, the others agreeing with him. The butler walked along ahead. "No? I never touch the stuff myself either. Except in the mornings. I could sort out a nice orgy later, should the mood take you. What do you say?"

Page looked away, slightly amused. "Just keep walking, you strange little man." The man bowed in apology. "Of course, I have to apologize. I have the habit of spouting the odd vulgarities, although Master Reaver has often brought out his whip to rectify that very flaw in my character." They stopped in front of a pair of oak doors.

The butler waved them along. "It's just past these doors. Oh, you'll have so much fun. Not 'drinks and orgies' fun, but it'll be a real laugh, I'm sure. Now there are some ground rules. Master Reaver insists that no one carry weapons into the ballroom. There have been some accidents."

"I'm afraid I need to keep mine. I'm here to find some friends," Page said angrily. The butler perked up. "Oh, you're the brave, noble rebels! Why didn't you say so? I'm an oppressed proletarian myself you know. We're practically comrades. If you go through these doors, you can slip past the party and rescue your fellow revolutionaries."

The doors opened, and they ran down the hall. On the other side of another pair of oak doors, there was a large, circular room with a cage. In the cage was a man. Page pointed to him. "There's one of my men!"

She ran forward and grabbed the bars. "Kidd! Are you alright?" Kidd looked up, and his eyes filled with panic.

"Get out, now!" he ordered. Page didn't budge. "Where are the others?"

"All dead. Reaver's been expecting you," Kidd urged. The cage suddenly shifted, and began moving up.

"What!?" Page exclaimed. Amy grabbed onto the bars, and her feet lifted from the ground. "I'll get him out."

Reaver's smug voice filled the room, and they looked up to see him standing on a platform. "My, my, my. More busy little bees trying to steal my honey. So persistent. So bloody annoying. When will you people learn to enjoy life?" Amy fell from the cage, landing slightly hard. "Dammit!"

"I'll enjoy killing you. Does that count?" Alex growled. Reaver turned to him, and he knew who was under that mask. "Well, if it isn't you Alex. Tell me, how are your little friends back in Aurora?"

"What?" Serah asked, confused. Reaver let out a laugh. "Oh, he hasn't told you, has he? Your little friend there was part of the Darkness's experimental program some years ago. He's a product of combining the Darkness's power into a human to enhance his abilities. Haven't you wondered why he keeps his left eye covered?"

Alex ripped off his mask, and Amy gasped. His right eye was the normal emerald green, but his left eye was jet-black, and she saw something swirl in the depths before fading.

"Don't you dare call those creatures in that hellhole my friends!" Alex snarled, his hands flying to his pistol. He fired a shot that was blocked by a bullet from Reaver's own gun.

"I'll enjoy watching you get mauled to death," Page added, ignoring what she just heard about Alex's power. Reaver smirked. "Oh, you are just full of spunk aren't you? A true heroine. You must be lightning under the bedsheets." He turned away for a second before facing them again. "Do try to put on a good show for my guests."

"You expect us to entertain you?" Page asked angrily. Reaver nodded and pointed to the device on the wall. "The Wheel of Misfortune. It's rather simple. I spin, we watch, you die. Really, it's a riot." He chuckled before spinning the wheel. It landed on the head of the most annoying things they had ever fought. Reaver let out a laugh. "My, no more than the most unsightly, most obnoxious creatures to ever inhabit this world. Super."

A door on the left opened, and the group had no other choice but to enter it. On the other side was an arena. Once they were all inside, Hobbes began pouring in from all directions.

"Is it me, or do these things feel squishy when you hit them?" Page asked in disgust as she ripped her sword from one of them. Under the combined firepower of four people though, the Hobbes were no match for them, and they quickly died. The only time they had a slight amount of trouble was when Summoner Hobbes entered the fray. It took about three minutes of bullets, magic casting and sword strikes before all the Hobbes were dead. Page wiped the sweat that was forming on her brow away. "Reaver's worse than I thought. What kind of sick mind comes up with something like this!?"

"His, apparently," Alex answered, seething. He had seen the anger in Serah's eyes, and he knew the Spartan wanted to beat him for hiding the truth about himself as a secret.

'_Better now than later,' _he thought. They were back in the main chamber, and Reaver spun the Wheel again. This time, it landed on the head of the first true challenge Amy and Serah faced in the Reliquary.

Reaver seemed pleased at this. "Ah, it's just not a true party without the elegant shuffles of these gentlemen. So hallowed, and yet so hollow."

"Oh great," Amy groaned. They walked down another hallway, into a new arena. Wisps began pouring in from all angles, surrounding them completely. Serah called over to Amy. "Fire magic now!" Both Heroes charged the spells before releasing two circles of flames, wiping out the Hollow Men that began to trap them.

Alex clasped his hands together, and he drew them apart to reveal two shadowy masses forming in his hands. A stream of Darkness magic shot out from his hands, killing four Armored Hollow Men in one blow.

'_Oh my God! Just how powerful is this guy!?'_ Amy wondered. She watched as the shadow wrapped around his sword, and Alex began mowing down the Hollow Men around him without breaking a sweat. He was much stronger than they originally thought. Alex looked up, and saw two of the Elder Hollow Men, the ones that could summon more, and called out a warning. "Behind you!"

He ran forward, and his Darkness magic helped him kill the Elder Hollow Man into two strikes. Serah shoved her hand, cloaked in lightning, and released the spell inside of the last one, killing it. Reaver was disappointed. "Well, that was depressing to say the least. Instead of them chopping you to bits, you killed them. Ah well."

When they headed back to the main chamber, Page was shaking **s**lightly. "I've read about Hollow Men before, but I'm not sure I ever believed in them. This better end soon."

"I'm already agreeing with you on that," Amy muttered. Reaver spun the Wheel, and it landed on the symbol of a bird. He became interested. "Ah yes. I paid these bloodthirsty mercenaries out of my own pocket. With gold I stole from the people but still, they better not disappoint."

Page let out a small breather. "Mercenaries. Finally, something I know how to fight for once." They entered the arena, and mercenaries began dropping in to kill them. One of them grinned manically as he landed in front of Amy. "Hello girly. Shame I have to kill such a looker. I would rather have some fun with you instead." He didn't say much more, as Serah's foot caved his skull in, killing him. She spit on the corpse. "Hands off her."

Alex found himself in battle against several mercenaries, and a leader walked up to him, signaling for hand-to-hand combat. The blonde grinned as he ran forward, his magic boosting his speed. He landed several good strikes, all catching the mercenary in the chest. The man faked a punch to the body and slammed his fist into the ground, causing a shockwave that knocked the blonde off his feet, sending him rolling. Alex got up, wiping a drop of blood away from his mouth. "You'll pay for that."

Alex's body began to glow black, his magic cloaking him. Healing him. The shadow surrounding him vanished, spiraling back into his eye, swirling around before fading. The mercenary backed up, fear in his eyes. "What the hell are you!?"

Alex vanished from his sight, only to reappear behind him. The mercenary turned around, only for his temple to meet the blonde's fist. Alex shoved the corpse away. "You'll never know now."

He picked up his sword, the shadow wrapping around it once more. He ran forward, killing all the mercenaries that were out of everyone else's way. Each kill added up to a kill count long forgotten, something he didn't want to remember. After Serah shot the last mercenary in the head, Reaver began talking again. "As it so happens, I was bending the truth about paying them. It was strictly a 'no kill, no deal' arrangement, so you saved me a small fortune. Bravo."

Worn out slightly, Page walked back to the main chamber. "I've seen terrible things in my time, but never so much death. Reaver's going to pay for this."

Page faced Reaver, anger evident from her. "Enough games Reaver!"

Reaver simply smiled at her outburst. "But they're so much fun, and my guests do enjoy fun. Time for another spin!" The Wheel whirled around before landing on the head of something most of them have never seen. It was nonhuman, with two points at the back. Reaver seemed happy to see this result. "Oh, now this is a very special round. Wait till you see what treasures I have in store for you next."

They entered the fourth arena, and Page was definitely tired. "What now? We can't keep on fighting forever." Reaver began explaining what they would be fighting. "I met these creatures in a rather inhospitable land, far from the turgid green of Albion. I do love to bring two cultures together, and see which one dies first."

Reaver's butler took the stand now, as he released the creatures. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… the Sand Furies!"

The Sand Furies were cloaked in rags head to toe, and they wielded a long, thin sword. Several more popped out from the sand, and the battle began.

One of the Furies flung itself at Amy, and she slid under it, pulled out her pistol, and fired directly into its chest. The Fury's body flew over her before hitting the ground dead. She got up, and blocked a strike from another before cutting its sword hand off. The Fury cart-wheeled away, drew a crossbow, and fired a single shot before flinging itself back into the fight. Even with its sword gone, it was still a pain in the ass to hit them, as they were very agile.

Alex had gotten bored of these creatures, as he had fought them before, several years ago. They were very quick, but his magic should be able to match that speed, if not overcome it. A dark circle appeared on the ground around him, and two shadowy forms sprang up, killing the Sand Furies left and right. He didn't look behind him, and he was struck in the back, the Sand Fury's sword through his stomach. He coughed, blood spraying from his mouth. "I refuse to die here!"

Serah spotted the wounded blonde, and she cut of the Sand Fury's head before removing the sword from his back. A shadow surrounded him, and he got to his feet after thirty seconds.

"Thanks," he said hoarsely."

Reaver wasn't happy with the group killing the Sand Furies. "My, wasn't that utterly appalling? Of course, you should be ashamed of yourselves, treating foreign guests in such an unsociable manner."

"I've really had enough of this," Page panted. The walk back into the main chamber was quiet, with several death glares being thrown at Alex by Serah. The Spartan was still pissed at him.

Reaver crouched low on the platform. "You holier-than-thoust idealists, always trying to do things your own way. But I agree, this game grows weary and my guests grow tiresome."

Reaver's butler tried hitting on a woman standing by Reaver's side. "Don't be restless sweetheart; Barry Hatch is here to take care of you! Fancy a quick jig?" Barry's hand landed on the woman's bottom, and he squeezed it, a small gasp of surprise coming from her. She glared at him as he twirled her around, dancing. Barry didn't notice the Wheel land on a wolf-like creature's head.

Serah and Amy were in shock as to what happened next, and so was Page.

The woman's eyes turned silver, and fangs erupted from her mouth, her hand turned into a furry claw, and Barry only noticed the tightened grip on his hand. "Feisty one aren't you? I like that in a woman." He turned around to see the woman had transformed into a huge snarling wolf-like monster. He turned to his Master for help. "Oi, Reaver, help! Aruuuuughh!"

Barry's death screams filled everyone's ears as his throat was ripped out. Reaver was unamused by this action. "You brute. Don't you know how difficult it is to find good staff? Still, what's the point of a secret society without a little secret, after all?"

The creature jumped down, and Page backed away. "This can't be happening. What are they?"

Alex pulled out his sword, the shadow wrapping around it. "They're Balverines! Extremely fast, deadly, and clever. Be careful."

His warning hit the group a second later, as two Balverines rushed at Amy and Serah in a heartbeat. They raised their claws and began slashing at them. Serah rolled out of the way, striking one with a Shock spell. The Balverine let out a cry as it was fried alive, the current jolting through its body. Amy couldn't dodge a claw in time, and she let out a cry of pain as the flesh of her upper arm parted. Her grip on her pistol faltered, and the Balverine pinned her to the ground, ready to sink its fangs into her. Amy couldn't look into the snarling mouth, and she closed her eyes, waiting for darkness to take her.

Only it never happened. She heard the Balverine's death cry, before it landed on her. She opened her eyes to see Alex standing over her. "Get up! We can't afford to lose you now!" Her healing magic had kicked in, and Amy felt her strength return. She grabbed her fallen pistol, and shot two Balverines in the head, leaving only one left.

"I'll handle this," Alex said, drawing his sword. The shadow was gone, and he taunted the Balverine. "Oi! Big ugly wolf fucker! Over here!"

The Balverine let out a roar, and it ran at him full speed. Alex jumped over it, chuckling as the creature rammed itself into the wall, killing itself.

Serah put her sword away, facing Page. "This is the last party I take you to." Page looked behind her, drawing her pistol. "Behind you!" Serah looked to see a Balverine's snarling mouth, only for to have a bullet in the center of its head. The creature fell, letting out one last roar before dying.

Reaver was still around, a smirk on his face. "I must say, you've made me out to be a rather poor host. Rather rude to kill all of my guests."

"Now it's your turn Reaver!" Page yelled firing at him. Reaver blocked the bullet with his cane, seeing it coming all the way.

He raised his arms, looking around. "My dear girl, why must we bicker? The five of us could escape up my quarters and have a private party." The sex invite was obvious, and Serah and Amy wanted to shoot him for it.

Page pointed to them. "This is Logan's sister, the Princess and she's a Lieutenant, you idiot!"

Reaver was interested in Amy. "Logan's sister a bona fide Hero. Well, I wouldn't dream of coming between two siblings. Well, that isn't completely true, as there was that one time… but still, I will see you some other time and good luck with this revolution of yours. Tatty bye."

Page and Alex tried shooting him again, but he was out of range, back in his quarters.

"Bloody coward!" Page growled angrily.

"Would someone mind getting us out of here now!?" a voice from above rang indignantly. They looked up to see Kidd was still in the cage, quite miffed.

After they got him out, they exited Reaver's manor and were back outside.

_Millfields_

Page walked ahead of Amy. "You are nothing like your brother. The Bowerstone Resistance will follow you without question." She faced the Princess again. "As long as you promise to change things when you take the throne. Poverty, children forced to work, people living in fear. You have to make it stop."

Amy took her hand. "I will."

Page shook it, grateful for her answer. "Good. We should get back now. We got a revolution to plan." There was a flash of white light, and Serah and Amy were in front of a portal. They walked through it, waiting to see what was on the other side.

_The Road to Rule_

Theresa was waiting for them, and she had some news. "You have made an important ally today, but there is still much to do before you can take Albion's throne." She faded away, and the Heroes weapons changed again, turning different colors. Serah's were silver, while Amy's were the color of steel. Their magic power increased too, as the spells had a bigger area of effect.

Satisfied, they walked back through the portal to the real world.

_Millfields_

They were back in Millfields, and a Town Crier was calling out. "All citizens report to the castle for the King's message. The speech will commence shortly."

"What's going on?" Kidd asked. The Crier ignored him and repeated the call. "All citizens are to report to the castle for the King's message. The speech will commence shortly!"

"This is never good," Kidd said.

"I'd go with you, but there is a reason we stay underground. We'll see you back at the base when it's over alright?" Page asked. Amy and Serah nodded, and the two Resistance members left in a hurry, not wanting to be seen by the guards. Serah motioned to Amy to go on ahead. "We'll be there in a minute." The Princess nodded and walked away, leaving the Spartan with Alex.

The blonde seemed to know what was going to happen next. "So, going to kill me are you?"

Serah clenched her hand into a fist, punching him in the jaw. "Why didn't you tell us? Why did you keep this hidden from us?"

Alex looked away. "I knew you would react like this, for one. The Darkness is the most evil thing in Albion, and I was given their power against my own will. Four years ago, I was a Captain in King Logan's Royal Army. We went on an expedition to Aurora, and well, it wasn't pretty. The Darkness killed all off our squad, leaving only us two as the only survivors. Logan thinks I'm dead, and for good reason. He never saw me again. The Darkness experimented on me, trying to see if a human could possess their magic. It worked."

Alex faced the Spartan to see shock covering her face. "That power is not a gift. It is a curse, and Reaver somehow knows about it, as well as what I lost. After I escaped from them, I stole a ship and headed back into Albion, reaching Bowerstone Industrial Port. From there I went to the Monorail Station in Millfields, reached the Mercenary Camp in Mistpeak, and well, here I am now."

He turned to see the Spartan was angry anymore, just sad. She slapped him across the face, the back of her hand stinging. "You idiot! Did you think we would kill you if we found out? It's obvious that you suffered a great amount of pain, and you want revenge. Kind of clichéd, but that's fate for you."

Alex let out a chuckle. "When the revolution is over, I'm going to settle my score with the Darkness, as they did this to me. I'm going to show them how big of a mistake they made."

Serah pulled him into a hug. "Don't hide anything from us, alright? After the amount of shit we went through, you need to learn how to open up."

She released him, and caught up with Amy, who was waiting outside of Bowerstone Market.

"Ben is going to meet us at the castle," she informed. Serah nodded. "Alright, let's go see what this speech is."

_**A/N: And there we go. I wanted to include more about Alex's past, but I feel this kind of gets a lot seen. This has quite the buildup, and the best part is still to come, as the Aurora Arc is right around the corner. Traitors will be the last part of the Bowerstone chapters, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll see you on the other side. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	12. Traitors

_**A/N: Hey guys, I'm sorry for the delay. I was offline for a bit, as I changed locations and now live in the U.S. Seriously, who makes up half of these laws…. Anyway, I got another chapter for you today, and it is the finale of the Bowerstone Arc. I hope you all like what I got in mind.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***Traitors***

_Bowerstone Castle_

Serah, Amy, and Alex met Ben at the castle, and King Logan was there, giving his speech like the Crier said. Rain poured on them, but no one seemed to care, as they all wondered what the king was going to say. Logan cleared his throat and began.

"Yes, traitors walk amongst up. Traitors plot to end us. Traitors would have you believe their cause is noble," he began. The crowd fell silent. Does this mean he knows about the revolution?

Logan continued. "They wear many masks. They may look like your friends. They may even look like your most loyal servants." Serah's heart fell, having a bad feeling as to where this was going. Her hunch was right, as an Elite Guard dragged a man to the stairs, his hair dirty and bruises on his face. He was in chains, and the group knew who it was.

Logan pointed to the man. "This… this is the face of a traitor."

Ben leaned forward, panic in his eyes. "Swift!" An elbow from Alex shut him up, as they didn't need Logan finding out about any more rebels.

Logan stared at Swift, who was refusing to give Logan anything. "Major Swift, a respected member of the army and sworn servant of the kingdom, has plotted against us all."

Serah's jaw dropped. How did Logan find out about Swift?

That question was answered a few seconds later by Logan.

"He was apprehended attempting to turn loyal soldiers against us, and is thus charged with espionage, treason, and conspiracy," the king explained. Ben gasped and looked away, knowing the punishment was only one thing. Amy's fists clenched, for she knew what would happen to Swift as well. Serah still listened.

Logan looked on at the fear-stricken crowd. "Yet there are still others darkening our land with their betrayal." He made a fist, and put it in the air. "We shall hunt these traitors down, wherever they may be. And they shall suffer the same fate as Major Swift. The fate of all enemies of the crown!" Logan made a motion with his hand, and guard holding on to Swift pulled out a pistol, aimed at the Major's head, and fired. Swift's body hit the ground, executed in public. The crowd was beyond shocked that Logan would do that. Ben tried to hide his face from Serah and Amy. "He has to be stopped. No matter what it takes. He has to be…"

The Spartan gave the soldier a comforting hand. "Calm down."

Ben straightened up, wiping his eyes. "Come on. We need to tell the others." The group left the crowd, as Logan had went back into his castle.

_Bowerstone Market_

Ben had already ran up ahead, and he was most likely in Industrial by now. Alex looked down, shaking his head. "I would have never thought this would happen. Not in a million years."

He pointed to a sign in front of the pub. "It looks like a job opening of sorts. You two check it out; I'll go sell some stuff I have in my pockets."

Serah reached the sign first, and it a job opening indeed. As a matter of fact, it was an opening for two barmaids in the pub. Amy looked at it, leaning onto the Spartan's shoulder. "So, a job where all we have to do is serve booze? Sounds good to me."

Serah grinned as she ran a hand through Amy's hair. "I'll do it too Little Red."

They walked into the pub, and found the manager waiting for them. She looked up, hopeful. "You two here to start a quick job?"

Both of the two Heroes nodded. "Yes." The manager motioned over to the bar. "Alright, you only have to do it for a couple hours. Just serve the annoying drunks, and try not to break any glasses. I'll give you your pay at the end of your shift, alright?"

The Heroes went behind the counter, and customers started to pour into the pub. A man with a top hat and glasses sat at the bar. "Glass of Spirits, please." Amy served him quickly, and Serah gave her a playful nudge. "You trying to outdo me?" Amy smirked. "Keep it up and I'll do you, right here."

Serah perked up. "Seriously? But all these lonely bastards will be wanking it to some lesbian action."

Amy shrugged, "Meh, I don't care." Serah grabbed her and kissed her passionately, giving everyone a full view. "I know why I love you."

They served drinks for several hours, until the sun started to go down. The manager greeted them with a nice pile of gold. "Here you go. You've earned this."

Serah counted it, and she was pleased with the amount. "17,000 gold for that, nice!"

Amy counted hers, and saw it was the same amount." I guess kissing me in front of everyone was a good thing then." They went upstairs to the spare rooms, and saw that Alex was waiting for them, polishing his sword. He looked up as they entered. "Jesus, I've been waiting for a bit. I got about 15,000 for us, as I had quite a bit of rare gems from a while back."

They each got in their beds, and let the blanket of sleep take them over.

_The Next Morning_

Serah got up, and she saw Amy was doing the same. Only Alex was still asleep, and Serah had a very bad idea pop into her head. She faced Amy with a smirk. "What do you say we wake up Blondie with a little fun~?"

_**Warning: A Citrussy Fruit Inbound**_

Amy grinned and pinned the Spartan down. "Now that's an idea." She kissed her, and she began to take Serah's clothes off. Amy pushed her hair out of her eyes, and went back to kissing her, her tongue exploring every last bit of Serah's mouth. The Spartan moaned into the kiss. "I like you on top."

Amy let her hands fondle with Serah's breasts, making her moan in pleasure. Amy stopped rubbing them, only to take it into her mouth, sucking on it. Serah tilted her head back and let out another moan. She gasped as Amy danced her small tongue over her nipple, jolts of pleasure shooting up her spine.

Amy removed her mouth from Serah's breasts, and she slid her finger under her panties. Serah moaned as Amy began to rub her, teasing her. With the Spartan moaning in pure bliss, Amy then traveled down, pulling off Serah's panties completely. My removed her fingers, only to begin licking her.

"Oh God, yesssssssssssssssssssss!" Serah moaned, feeling the redhead's tongue inside her. With a final lick, Serah's hips bucked as her liquids released, spraying into Amy's mouth. She swallowed what she could. "Mmmm, you do taste good."

They suddenly heard a very annoyed blonde. "Goddammit! I thought I told you to not do that!"

_**It's over**_

Serah laughed as she struggled to put her clothes back on. "But you were still sleeping and we were horny!"

Alex sighed and shook his head. "I swear…"

They got dresses and headed downstairs, grabbing a quick bite to eat before heading back out into the streets. Serah flexed her legs, "Alright, let's hurry up and get to Industrial." They ran through the streets until they reached Industrial.

_Bowerstone Industrial_

Serah began panting a bit, "It's been too long since I ran like that. I could use a good sleep and a beautiful redhead."

Alex looked up. "Didn't you just get that?"

"No, I only got the beautiful redhead," Serah corrected. Amy blushed and looked away.

While they were busy talking, they didn't notice that they were in front of the Resistance Headquarters.

"Um, guys? We're here," Alex announced. They pushed open the heavy metal door and went inside.

_Bowerstone Resistance Headquarters_

They walked past all the rebels inside, and headed straight for the back room, where Page, Walter, Ben, and Luna were waiting. Walter looked up as they entered. "Ben told us what happened. Swift was a good friend. He died like a true soldier."

Ben scoffed. "A true soldier? Let's not pretend there was anything noble about the way he died. He was tortured, humiliated, and murdered."

Walter raised a finger at him. "And he didn't give Logan anything, or we'd be dead by now. I call that noble." Luna looked away. "We were too careless trying to spy on Logan from within the castle grounds."

Page sighed. "It was just a matter of time before Logan did this, before he decided to hunt us down. We have to fight back." Luna and Ben nodded in agreement, but Walter shook his head.

"We're still not ready though. We need more allies. And thanks to Swift's efforts, we know exactly where to look."

Ben turned to Amy and Serah. "Before he was executed, the Major managed to send us a message."

Walter joined in. "A soldier still loyal to the old guard brought it to me, at great risk to his life."

"What does it say?" Amy asked. Ben snorted. "Well, this is Swiftie we're talking about, so it's rather straightforward. 'You will find allies in Aurora'." Alex turned around. "What?" He had been to Aurora, but surely there can't have been anything left. Not after the Darkness.

He turned to Page. "Do you have any pieces of spare cloth?" She jerked her thumb behind her. "Right there." Alex flashed her a thanks before he covered his left eye again, not wanting anyone to see it.

Page was confused at the message though. "I still don't understand how anyone there can help us. Aurora is a dead land. There's nothing there."

'_That's what you think,' _Alex thought, but he refrained from saying that out loud.

Walter looked at Page. "Or at least, that's what we've been told. It's still the only lead we have, anyway."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Can we get on with the plan? I have an overwhelming urge to shoot someone." Luna and Alex muttered agreement. "What he said."

Walter stroked his mustache. "First thing, we'll need a ship. Serah, Amy, Alex and Ben will get hold of one; while the rest of us make sure the rest of the fleet doesn't follow."

Page looked up. "You'll need to go via the back alleys, and they'll be crawling with soldiers." Ben smiled. "Not a problem. I know my way around the place." He turned to the three who would be with him. "I'll meet you at the back of the sewers. We're going to show Logan just what traitors can do."

Page nodded. "Go on. My men are putting together the materials we'll need. It should be quite a display."

Walter faced them once more. "Aurora is a distant land. It could be a while before we return. If there's things you need to do, now's the time."

Ben was already at the back of the sewers. "You know, Swift taught me almost everything I know about being a soldier. Let's show these bastards how it's done."

Serah loaded a clip into her rifle. "Show them what a true soldier can do."

They ran through the sewers until they were back in Industrial.

_Bowerstone Industrial_

Ben faced them, as they were close. "We need to get to the far end of the docks, so it's best to not shoot until we have to. Come on." As they walked up the stairs, Ben smirked. "Leave the talking to me. I have an idea." They reached the top of the stairs, and standing by the gate on guard was one lone Elite Soldier. Alex smirked, "Catch you later." He jumped up onto one of the roofs of the low buildings, out of sight. He looked through his pistol's scope, and he saw the amount of soldiers they would be facing. "Fuck, they really outnumber us."

While Ben went straight to the guard, Amy and Serah snuck around to flank him, in case they had to fight. Which, knowing their luck, would most likely happen.

As Ben approached the guard, the soldier put his arm out. "Stop. Only Royal Guard allowed."

Ben chuckled as he got closer. "I know, but I want to say...wow, you look so stylish. With the helmets and everything. Me and my friends were wondering if we could join you, because you make us ordinary soldiers feel so inadequate." The Guard pointed a finger. "Leave."

Ben protested. "Aw, come on. Don't you have any leaflets or application forms we can take with us? If only we could get inside and get your autographs. We are huge fans."

The guard pulled out his rifle. "Leave, or we will be forced to terminate you."

Ben faced Amy and Serah. "See? Even their vocabulary is stylish." Ben pulled out his rifle and shot the guard, pushing the gates open. As he saw the amount of Elite guards on the other side, he gulped. "Ok, I'll admit it. I didn't really have much of a plan."

"I can see that," Serah muttered, drawing her sword and blocking a strike. She kicked a guard in the head, her boot crushing his skull. She ducked several rounds from the other guards' rifles. "Shit!"

Alex jumped down, and he landed in a circle of them. He drew his pistol and fired four times, with four bodies hitting the ground. "Let's go!"

They pushed into the warehouse, only to meet a dozen more soldiers. Serah groaned. "It never ends, does it?" She charged up a spell and released, the Shock/Ice Storm taking out five of them. Amy had used her own Fire/Vortex, and five more were dead. Ben picked off the last two, and they pressed on. They saw several barrels, with soldiers standing behind them. Serah ducked behind a crate. "Alex! Hit the barrels!"

Alex grinned and shot the barrels, pleased when he saw it explode. It turns out they were filled with gunpowder, a good thing and a bad thing. Ben saw him shoot them and he gave out a warning that was a bit too late. "Be careful with those barrels. They're filled with gunpowder, and we don't want to blow our bloody arms off."

"A bit late for that," Alex muttered, having already blown up several guards with the barrels. It was quite entertaining to see the guards lifeless bodies soar into the air from the explosions. It was like a ragdoll, only much funnier as they were corrupted soldiers.

Serah and Amy were back to back, parrying blows from guards that had gotten too close. after a while, the soldiers began blocking their strikes. Serah flashed Amy a smirk before spinning around in a flourish, killing to with one hit.

"Two for one bitches~!" she crowed, pleased with her work. Amy had shot the last guard in the face multiple times, and she pointed to the stairs, where there were two snipers. "Up there!"

They climbed the stairs, only to see Alex had killed the two snipers already. Sighing, they dropped down, exiting the warehouse and heading back on the streets.

"Let's get out of here. The docks are just around the corner!" Ben yelled. They rounded the corner, and the crane on the other side exploded, causing a chain reaction that sunk the fleet's ships as well.

"Wow, that should keep the bastards occupied," Ben commented. They followed him down the street, and he was counting on something that was very unlikely. "The way to the ships should be clear."

Don't you love how he saw it 'should' be clear?" Serah whispered, not wanting the rebel soldier to hear. Amy laughed lightly. "It's funny because we both know by now it doesn't ever work like that." Anyway, they were still hoping that for once, it would be clear.

As they rounded a bend, that proved to be false. Ben shrugged. "Or, maybe not." He pulled out his rifle and began to fire upon the Elite soldiers, while Amy and Serah charged, slashing their way through. Alex jumped up, and he slit the commander's throat, a fountain of blood staining the ground. "Too easy."

With their commander dead, the soldiers began to panic. "He killed the Commander! Take him down!" About seven or eight soldiers charged him, a big mistake on their part. Then again, they didn't know that the blonde had very powerful magic, and he wasn't afraid to use it against them.

Alex ripped the bandage off, his black eye swirling. "Bad choice." He clasped his hands together, the two shadowy masses forming. Two blasts of his Darkness magic shot out, killing the guards that tried to rush him.

One of the guards had snuck around him, and he raised his sword to strike Alex in the back. Serah spotted this, and she shot the guard's head off, a large amount of blood staining the ground and Alex. The blonde looked behind him. "Shit, thanks for that. Although it'll take a damn week to get the blood out of this."

Serah gave him a small tap. "Shut up. We're not out of this yet." Alex grinned and threw himself back into the fight.

The Elite soldiers weren't that elite as it seemed. It wasn't long before all of them were dead, and the way to the ship should be clear now.

The doors to the left opened, and Walter came out, sweat trickling from his brow. Ben was surprised to see him alone. "Walter! What kept you?"

The old soldier was panting slightly. When he caught his breath, he talked again. "We have to hurry! They're going to be following us after all!"

"Fuck!" Amy and Serah swore at the same time.

Alex stepped forward. "Where's Page and Luna?"

"They're staying behind. Someone has to organize things back here. Come on!"

They saw a small, wooden boat. It looked like it would need to be paddled, which no one looked forward to doing for a long time. Walter was standing over it. "It's not much, but at least it floats. That's what counts."

Ben pointed to a larger, much sturdier ship. "Or you know, we could take this one. That way we won't drown the minute we leave port."

Walter chuckled. "Even better." They boarded the ship, hoping for smooth sailing to Aurora. Walter tried to keep everyone's spirits up. "I've got a good feeling about this voyage."

Once they were on the ship, the sail went up and they set sail, heading for Aurora.

Alex looked out as the waves lapped around the ship. "Well, we won't be here for a while, will we?" He stretched his legs and headed for the sleeping quarters below deck, still exhausted from the amount of fighting he did in recent days.

Serah was on the deck with Amy, the flames of Bowerstone Industrial Port behind them. She wrapped an arm around the redhead. "When Walter said he had a good feeling about this voyage, he didn't actually mean that, did he?"

Amy smiled as she leaned into the Spartan's shoulder. "He probably sensed we were nervous and tried to lighten the mood. It kinda worked, but then again, it didn't."

Ben looked behind them, and his face paled. "The _Albion _is right on our tail!" Walter saw the ship behind them, and his face fell. "Balls. We should've known they would send out their flagship. They don't want us traitors to survive, do they?"

Alex was back on the deck, and he already had his pistol out, the bandage around his eye falling off. With his magic active, he was betting on it helping his accuracy, and hopefully taking out the captain of the _Albion_.

"This is not good," he muttered as he saw the cannons swing out, giving the group a sight of the firepower on board. Alex looked through his pistol's scope, and he fired two shots. The first one went to the left, while the second one hit the captain in the chest. As his body hit the ground, the crew of the _Albion _became even more enraged.

'_Shit, that didn't work,' _Alex thought grimly. He ducked as a round from a rifle soared over his head. He heard an explosion behind him, and he turned around to see a grim scene. The sniper wasn't aiming for him. He was aiming for the barrels of gunpowder behind him.

The explosions from the gunpowder took out the sail, the support beam crashing down. Walter and Ben had to roll out of the way before they were crushed. "Oh, bloody hell!"

Walter was a bit slower to get up, and he had to duck as a cannonball whizzed past him. "This ship's not gonna hold much longer! We need land now!"

Ben pointed out irritably. "We're in the middle of the bloody sea! There's no land for miles!"

Alex looked away from sharpshooting the _Albion's _crew to correct that. "Actually, there's some land two miles away from here. But, I agree with Walter. This ship will not hold together much longer, especially since we don't have any cannons on this ship."

"Shit, we probably should've stolen one of theirs then," Serah muttered before firing three rounds, hitting one of the enemy ship's crew. She saw the body hit the deck, and several more soldiers opened fire on the Spartan. She took cover behind one of the few remaining support beams, only to see it was withering away.

'_Probably a good idea to get out of here,' _she mused. She darted out, rolling to avoid getting hit, and brought her rifle back into play. She hit the soldiers with the marksmanship of a true sniper.

Finally, the _Albion _fired all of the cannons on its starboard side, and the ship the group was on finally gave in. The wood splintered, the cannons tearing through them with ease.

As the ship caught fire and began to sank, something made Serah black out, and the last thing she remembered before the dark wave overtook her was reaching out for Amy, to make sure she would be safe.

_**Save Game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: Sorry for the much shorter chapter, but the Traitors part is quite short in itself, as it only took about five minutes to do. Anyways, leave any questions, comments, or other concerns you have. Favorites and follows are appreciated, and Aurora is up next! I'll see you on the other side. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	13. Darkness Incarnate

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, but I was busy working on another Fable and RWBY crossover, which won't be anywhere near as long as this hopefully. I doubt I could handle another major project at the same time as this, but this is proceeding nicely along. Time for the real fun to begin. I don't own Fable or Halo; Lionhead Studios and 343 Industries are still the owners.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***Darkness Incarnate***

Serah woke up, and the first thing she noticed was that her head was pounding. And she was in the middle of an unknown beach. Groaning, she sat up, flexing her stiff shoulders.

"That hurt," she muttered. Serah blinked a few times, trying to get her vision back to normal. She then saw that she was not alone.

Amy was next to her, also just getting up. Alex was a few feet away, emptying sand out of his boots. "Well, that certainly went well. I've always wanted to go to a random, deserted beach vacation."

The sarcasm was unmistakable, which meant he was alright. Amy sat up wincing slightly. "Are we all accounted for?"

That question was answered by a call. "Ben! Ben!"

Walter was walking along the beach, calling for the soldier. "For hobbe's sake, where the bloody hell are you Ben!?" He noticed the three getting up, and he headed over to them. "Are you alright?"

"For the most part. Ben's not here?" Serah asked, thankful that her weapons were still with her. Walter shook his head. "No. it looks like we didn't all make it. I only hope… well, maybe he washed up somewhere else, I'm sure that's it."

Alex winced at the optimism in his voice. "Not really convincing there."

Walter rolled his eyes at the blonde's comment. "Anyway, the only way forward is through a rather ominous cave." This brought out sighs of exasperation from two of them, and a tightened grip on the other's weapons.

They walked along the beach, and saw Walter was right. Several large spikes protruded from the ceiling, and there was sand everywhere. Walter was ahead of them. "Before we go any farther, I'd like to say one thing. BALLS!" The shout echoed of the cave walls, and Serah held her ears.

Walter saw a small opening ahead after he stopped shouting. "Hm, I wonder what's on the other side. You never know, it could be a luxury inn." Serah and Amy snickered at this, as they both knew it was soooooo unlikely. They were right, as a swarm of bats flew past them.

Walter groaned as the creatures flew over him. "Brilliant. Bats are exactly what we need right now." He faced the group after the snickers died down. "What do you think happened to Ben? He's a strong swimmer. He probably reached a sandy beach somewhere. Palm trees. Beautiful women. Coconut cocktails. Jammy bastard."

They all got a chuckle, until Walter pointed to something below them. "What the hopping hobbes is that?" The thing he was pointing at was a shield of some kind, covering a large entrance or exit. Alex stiffened, and he warned them. "Be careful. That's Darkness magic, and I may be unable to do much."

Walter was too far ahead, and he didn't hear the blonde's warning. "It must be protecting something. Like the way out, most likely."

The group proceeded down a flight of stairs, with Alex's breaths growing in frequency. Serah gave out a sigh. "Well, we didn't get this far, haven't got this many people behind us, to end up dying in some forsaken, far-off hole in the ground."

Amy saw the skeletons scattered around, and she shook her head. "Well, wherever we are, we're not the only ones who got stuck in this damn place." Walter agreed with her. "Not the most encouraging sign in the world is it? Still, they might have something useful on them. Check the second lot over there."

Amy reached the bodies first, and she found a note on one of them. "I found something: a note. 'It speaks to us still. Darkness Incarnate. We know now we can never escape it.'"

Walter grunted."Well, that doesn't sound good." He was about to pick up a journal, only for Alex to swipe it clean from him. "I'll deal with this, sir."

Alex read aloud from the journal. "Luminous spirits of the sands, embark daybreak and gleam under a quiet moon." The journal glowed a bright blue, and the seal over the entrance to the cave broke, fading away.

Walter gaped as Alex handed the journal back. "How did you do that?"

"Classified," was the blonde's reply. Walter peered over the edge, seeing the staircase spiraled down quite a long way. "It does look somewhat dark though." Serah scoffed. "Please. I doubt that."

Walter gave her a snarky retort. "Oh yeah? Well how about you go first if you're so tough?"

Serah marched down the stairs, followed by Amy and Alex. Walter sighed and went down grudgingly. "Alright. I can do this."

As they went down, no one noticed the seal return over the staircase entrance…

At the bottom of the staircase, it was true that is was very dark. Walter picked up on it. "You know how I said it looked somewhat dark? Well, I'd like to amend that statement. We're looking into utter, total, complete darkness."

Alex found a torch, and he tossed it over to Walter. The old soldier caught it and lit it with his matches. He let out a sigh of relief as the dark hallway lightened up. "Ah, now that's a hell of a lot better."

With some actual light for once, they walked down the hall, looking for any signs of life. But it was quiet. Too quiet for Walter's taste.

"What do you think this is? A temple of some sorts?" he asked.

'_Oh no. it's something much worse,' _Alex thought, his left eye beginning to pulse in pain.

Amy answered Walter's question with honesty. "I have no idea. I can't see why anyone sane would worship in a place like this." They stopped when the path came to a halt. Literally, as there was no bridge to cross the very deep pit.

Walter stroked his mustache. "Well, we're not going any further this way." He squinted to see the other side. "It looks like a bridge. There's a mechanism on the other side. Talk about handy. One of us will have to get over there to use it though. There must be some other way there."

He turned around, only to see that Alex was already making his way there, and he reached the other side where the mechanism was. Walter looked around nervously. "Be careful now. That bloody thing's probably stiffer than my damn bones, and we don't want to make any more noise than we have to."

Alex rolled his eyes, wincing as his eye continued to pulse and throb, a sign that his worst nightmare was here. He pulled the lever, and the ground began to shake and tremble. Several large rocks fell from the ceiling into the pit as the bridge slid out and slammed into the other side.

Walter snorted as the rest of them crossed the bridge. "Yes, and as quiet as stealthy mice, the adventurers forged on ahead." Amy and Serah heard a strange, whispery sound. Almost like something else was here.

Walter and Alex noticed, and the blonde had his weapons out, his eye darting left to right. His actions were almost panicky in a way, and that was worrying. Whatever could scare him deserved a damn handshake.

Walter continued walking up the stairs. "I know I have the tendency to be slightly paranoid, but did that honestly sound like something friendly to you guys?"

Serah shook her head, and her hands began to glow with magic. "No chances are being taken here." They stopped in front of a seal just like the one that covered the staircase. Walter was about to read from the journal he had when Alex swiped it again.

"Luminous spirits of the sands. Inhale the restless gloaming," he read. The journal glowed and the seal vanished. Walter shook his head as they entered a new part of the weird place. "You have a knack for gibberish."

Once they were all inside, they turned around to see the seal reform over the entrance, trapping them inside. Alex swore angrily. "Shit, I did not see that one comin- ARGH!"

He fell to his knees and held a hand over his left eye, the pain excruciating now. He ripped off the bandage, and they could see his eye was flickering between black and a bright blue.

'_This only means one thing. That… that creature is here!' _he thought as he tried to regain control. As soon as it had started, the pulsing stopped, and Alex shakily got back to his feet.

Serah helped him up, and he leaned on her for support. "Come on Blondie. Shake it off."

Walter shook his head and he looked at the barrier. "Do you have the feeling someone's playing games with us?"

Alex panted. "Yes."

Walter sighed and walked down the small flight of stairs, and they heard that whispery sound again, only this time it was closer. Then, they heard a deep, old voice charged with power and hatred. "The light you bring will die. The light inside you will die. All that you are will die!"

Walter swung the torch around furiously. "Who's there!? Show yourself!"

Dozens of small eyes appeared, and they all toke a step back.

"This is not good," Serah muttered, pulling out her sword. The voice laughed. "Heheheheh, the children are here to play." As if that was a command, shadows began appearing, all of them wielding swords. Walter began swinging the torch at them trying to burn them away.

Alex regained his composure, and he ran forward, slicing every shadow he could reach. They may have been easy to kill, but there were so damn many of them. Serah had her back against Amy's, and they were casting their magic as quickly as they could. Finally, all the shadows were gone, and the eyes began to fade away. But the voice remained. "You're tainted. The sun shall never shine upon you again. Tainted, broken little toys."

Then it was gone, just like that. Serah picked Alex up with one hand. "What the hell was that?"

Alex met her gaze unflinchingly. "That was the one who did this to me. The Crawler, and he controls the forces of the Darkness."

Serah let him go, and he landed on his feet. They followed Walter, who seemed very shaken by the surprise attack. "We just have to keep going, that's all. We'll be alright." As they turned left and rounded the corner, Walter swore more of the shadows were coming. He swung the torch at the shapes, which turned out to be only bats. "More of those things!"

He calmed down after he saw it was not shadows. "Come on Walter, keep it together!"

Alex seemed to be in rather terrible shape, often stopping to hold his eye. "Dammit." He turned to Serah. "I don't think I'll be of much help. My magic isn't working properly."

Serah was confused. "What do you mean?"

"My magic source is from the Darkness, and my power doesn't work against them. Most of my magic doesn't work against them," he explained. He shook his head, trying to clear his fuzzy vision. Walter started swearing at the journal he had. "Damn this book and whoever wrote it. The bastards. Why didn't they warn us what was down here? Darkness Incarnate. Like we're supposed to know what the bloody hell that means."

He then stopped dead, looking around. "Wait. I think we must be close to an exit. There's a cold breeze, can you feel it?"

He ran forward, trying to find the source of the wind. He then heard the whisper sound and he slowed down. "There's that sound again. It's almost like…"

There was a sudden gust of wind, and the torch was blown out.

"No! Not the light. Not the bloody light!" Walter shouted. He crouched down low, while the rest of the group held themselves close, mainly because of Alex.

Walter was on one knee, striking matches furiously, only to see them refuse to light. "Come on dammit. Those things are all around us. Come on, come on, come on!"

A match finally lit, and he had the torch back up. Rolling his eyes, Walter looked behind him and gasped. In front of him was a creature unlike anything he had ever seen. Six black eyes and spiky pale skin met him. Walter waved the torch in front of him, his eyes shut tight. When he reopened them again, the being was gone. He looked around in terror. "Balls."

The rest of the group caught up with him, and Walter put his head in his hands. "No, no, no, no, no. we have to get out of here. You hear me, you hear me? We have to get out of here. As long as we have fire we'll be alright. We're all alright."

They walked through another door, and the voice taunted them from the shadows again. "We're coming. We will devour your kingdom."

"It's here!" Alex shouted. The pale unsightly creature Walter saw appeared, and the blonde charged at it, only for it to vanish and reappear behind him. Alex parried a blow with his sword, but the force of the blow sent him crashing into a wall. His sword clattered on the ground, and the creature picked up the wounded blonde. "Well, look who it is. The lost sheep returns to our happy flock. Did you really think we wouldn't find you?"

Alex drew a dagger and cut the arm holding him. The creature lost its grip and Alex was released. "You didn't find me. I found you."

Alex's eye swirled dark and a shadow cloaked him as he grabbed his sword. He pointed it at the being. "You did this to me. You took the one I love from me. That's why; I'm going to finish this with my own hands!"

The shadow wrapped around Alex's sword, and he swung at the creature. He felt something force him away, and the next thing he knew, he was back with Amy and Serah, fighting against a horde of shadows. The creature was gone, but it still taunted them. "I can see inside of your souls. The true warrior among you is hiding something herself. She hasn't told you that she used to be an assassin paid by the military, and she assassinated a commanding officer."

Serah growled angrily. "How dare you bring that up." She swung her sword at four shadows, killing them. The voice didn't let up, as it chose Amy for its next victim. "And you, Princess. I can see how badly you want to rule, the power of your revenge on the king. My, quite feisty aren't you?"

Amy grew pissed and several magic symbols appeared on her, and she began casting spells left and right, killing any shadow that dared to come near her. "We need to get out of here, now!"

The shadows were gone again, and the creature decided to toy with Walter again. "Did the blind seer not tell you about us? Did she not warn you? Hahahahahahahaha!"

Walter lost it. He was trying to close out the voice, but he snapped and threw the torch at the creature. "QUIET!"

The torch soared in the air and struck the being. It convulses, shrieking as though it was burned before vanishing. Walter wiped away the sweat that had been pouring from him. "It's gone. The bastard's dead and gone. And we're getting out of here."

He led them through the place, and he shook his head, almost as though he was embarrassed at his actions. "I'm sorry. I lost my head back there, I know. I've never liked dark caves, but this is as if someone took my worst nightmare and made it true."

He stopped when they came upon a ledge, with the only way forward being down. Walter crouched low. "It looks like the only way is down. Goody."

He took a deep breath before facing them. "I'm going to need a moment to get myself ready for this. But don't let me stop you."

Serah and Amy jumped down, with Serah doing a flip for pure style points. Alex remained with Walter, seeing the old soldier was struggling.

Walter peered over the edge. "Are you two alright down there?"

"Yes, it isn't far down," Amy replied. Walter and Alex nodded, and both of them prepared to jump. Walter got into a stance. "Alright, here I come then. Three, two, one…." Just before he jumped, he heard the sound of something creeping up on him. He turned around, letting out a scream. "AHHHHH!" Alex turned around too, trying to save the old soldier, but he was thrown from the ledge and he fell in a heap on the sand. Amy called her mentor's name while Serah helped the blonde to his feet. "Walter. Walter!"

They saw a dark cloud spiral away, vanishing without a trace. Walter was gone, and they heard a cruel laugh.

Alex stood up, despite the fact that he was getting beat up quite a bit as of late. "It took him. The Crawler, that creature you all saw, took him."

Amy's eyes widened. "What's going to happen to him?"

Alex sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. The Crawler seems to have taken an interest in Walter, for a reason I do not know. Maybe he has a certain fear that the Crawler is going to exploit."

Serah pulled the bolt back on her rifle. "Then let's find him quick. The longer we sit here gossiping, the more likely Walter's going to not make it."

Those words snapped Amy out of her little trance and they began to walk through the cave, only to stop as a group of shadows appeared from a black pool meters from where they landed. The Crawler taunted them, trying to break them into shards. "You let us take him. But you're glad, aren't you? You tire of your travels. You want to be rid of him."

Serah cast a furious magic spell, the Shock/Ice Storm killing about a dozen of them. "Shut up!"

Alex ducked under a shadow's sword before slicing it in half. "Don't listen to it! Otherwise, it'll drive you mad."

'_Thanks for the advice,' _Amy thought before blasting a few more shadows to death. The Crawler's voice was beginning to drive her slightly insane. Serah sliced the last shadow in pieces, and they climbed a hill of sand, only to encounter more shadows.

The Crawler began to laugh. "You grow weary of the cries of your helpless. The cries of your dead. The children will bring them internal happiness. They will come for your king. Who will sit on the throne of Albion then?"

A black stream trickled over the path, and shadows began popping out, twirling their swords in their hands. Alex grinned as he met them with his own blade. "You really haven't gotten any stronger. In fact, you've gotten weaker. Interesting, I must say."

Serah let out a scream of frustration as more shadows tried to surround them. "Oi! Don't you ugly fucktards have anything better to do than piss me off!?" Alex let out a small chuckle, despite the dire situation they were in. "Your remarks never cease to amuse me."

Serah rolled her eyes and repeatedly swung her sword, killing all of the shadows. She wiped her forehead, her hair starting to get sticky. "Fuck, and it was right after I got my hair done too."

She was prevented from complaining as more shadows came, this time from up ahead. Alex's eye glowed blue, and he drew a few symbols in the air with his fingers. With a single flick, several streams of his magic hit the shadows, only for them to keep coming. Instead, the spell rebounded and struck him, temporarily taking him out. He groaned as he felt his back. "Okay, it turns out my magic is invalid now."

Amy helped him up, still firing away with her pistol, the barrage of bullets only stopping when she was forced to reload. She looked at the blonde. 'You know, you've been spending a lot of time on your ass during this."

"Tell me something I don't already know," Alex grumbled, his back and shoulder sore. There was a chance even his healing magic might not work properly. Fortunately for him, his wounds closed up and he felt his strength return.

After the shadows were gone, they ran through the cave, jumping from the small ledges. When they landed, that's when they saw him.

"Walter!" Amy cried out. The old soldier was trapped by some sort of dark sludge covering him. It was like there was darkness being forced into him. Alex reached him, and he looked him over. "This is not good."

He heard the shuffling of feet. A very familiar shuffling. He turned around to see the Crawler. He drew his pistol to shoot at the creature, only for it to vanish. He growled in anger and he walked away from Walter. They had other things to worry about presently.

Amy and Serah had joined him, and they noticed four black pools spill around them, surrounding them. Serah already had her sword out, and she looked as hordes of shadows were upon them. "This is not looking good at all. We seriously have a problem now."

The Crawler let out a fury filled growl. "Watch as the children bring you despair. They are so very hungry for flesh."

Amy loaded a fresh clip into her pistol, looking around. "Any ideas?"

I got one, but I wouldn't call it a plan really," Alex replied. Serah blocked a shadow's sword before killing it. "JUST SAY IT!"

Alex gave her a look. "Well, since I don't have dying on my 'to-do' list, how about we fight our way out?"

"Don't we do that in almost every situation?" Amy pointed out. Alex shrugged, ducking and rolling from a pair of shadows that were intent on killing him. "Like I said, it isn't much of a plan."

"Put that in a memo labeled 'Shit I already know'," Serah grumbled, casting magic spells to kill as many of the shadows as possible. The Crawler seemed to grow angrier after the shadows died. "You've brought hurt! The children are angry!"

There seemed to be no end to all of them, as more and more shadows appeared. Even with their enhanced abilities, they were getting tired, and it would only be a matter of time before the shadows took them.

'_Is this how it ends for us? Killed by darkness?' _Amy wondered, her limbs burning. Serah finally took out the last shadow, and several small glowing orbs flew out of the remaining black pool.

The Crawler was sure they would perish now. "The children hide in their shells. They have bodies now. Bodies can tear you asunder!"

The orbs flew into several weird metal things lined up on the wall, and they were armed with razor sharp blades on each arm.

"Oh great. Dark Minions. Just perfect," Alex groaned. He drew his pistol and shot one three times in the head, satisfied when it died. That pleasure was short lived as another took its place.

Serah swooped in, and she kicked its head off with a nice spin. "Nice try."

Amy was dancing around several Dark Minions, dodging their blades before landing several good strikes on them. It took about four to five hits before they died from swords, and that was a problem as they started to block after two direct hits.

Well, at least until Alex came in. he was able to spin around and slice them in half with only one blow, but that was because some of his power was still available. His spells would be of no use.

The Crawler then seemed to go after the immobilized Walter. "What happens to this worthless piece of flesh when darkness touches its soul?"

Amy and Serah blasted three Minions to bits, and there were only a handful left.

"Thank God there's only four left," Serah muttered, parrying the blades before slicing the Minion to bits. Alex shot the last three with his pistol, and the Minions were all dead. The shadowy sludge that was holding Walter in place released him, and began trickling down to a massive statue.

"The dark guardian shall come and protect us. And all that is flesh and light shall die," the Crawler rasped. The statue was massive, made of heavy stone, and it held a staff in its hands. The dark sludge swirled around its body and the statue moved, the steps making the ground shake. The statue blinked, and they saw the red eyes filled with hate.

Alex stepped back. "Shit, it's a fucking Sentinel. Watch out for that staff."

The Sentinel slammed its staff on the ground, a large crack forcing the three to scatter. Amy rolled and drew her pistol, emptying a full clip into the Sentinel's massive body. The Sentinel raised its staff and summoned a black pool right underneath her, and Serah forced her away. The Spartan got to her feet. "Hit it with everything we got!"

Alex rushed towards it, dodging the Sentinel's staff as it tried to crush him. He jumped on its back, and began shooting at its head. The Sentinel thrashed, throwing him off. He landed, and dodged a hit from the staff as Serah and Amy hit it with magic, the spells sending it stumbling. Alex snuck behind it, hitting the massive being with his sword several times.

The Sentinel faked a hit to the ground and swung its staff around, catching the blonde in the chest. Blood spurted from his mouth as he was thrown against the wall, and he didn't get up.

Serah furiously let loose a barrage of magic, and the Sentinel finally died, bursting into pieces. Walter was freed from the sludge, and the Crawler gave a warning. "This land is ours. Darkness shall spread across the world."

Walter was on one knee, but that wasn't his worst problem. "I can't see. That thing, it blinded me. I can't see!"

Amy put his arm around her for support. "It's okay Walter, we're here…" She trailed off as she saw Alex lying motionless in a heap, a pool of blood surrounding him. Serah picked him up, making sure to grab his weapons. "It's bad. He's unconscious right now, but he needs help. Badly."

Amy guided Walter, holding his hand so he would follow. He was nervously looking around. "We have to go. Take me to the light please!"

They exited the tomb, leaving the Darkness far behind, but they didn't know if Walter would regain his sight or if Alex would ever wake up.

_**Save game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: Heh heh, I'm interested to see the feedback on this, as I made it seem as though Alex might die. Still, the second part of the Aurora chapters is coming up, and I'm going to combine Blinded and Aurora into one chapter, although I have no idea what I'm going to call it. Any ideas would be appreciated. I'll see you soon. Review?**_

_**Ja**_


	14. The Sightless City of Nightmares

_**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter. I got it done sooner than I thought, and I realized that I can say that I am the author of the longest Fable/Halo crossover fanfiction on this site. Thanks for all the support! I don't own Fable or Halo; 343 Industries and Lionhead Studios are the owners.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***The Sightless City of Nightmares***

_Unknown Desert_

Serah and Amy exited the tomb, with Amy guiding the now blinded Walter and Serah holding Alex's unconscious form.

"Did we get out? Are we safe?" Walter asked timidly.

"Yes. We're out," Amy replied.

"What can you see?" the old soldier asked. Serah blinked from the intense sun, shielding her light eyes. "A desert. Just perfect."

Walter's breaths were ragged and hoarse. "I can feel the sand and the heat, but whatever that thing did, it's like it sucked all the light from me. I still can see anything." He then noticed that Alex was not speaking. "Where's Alex?"

Serah shook her head. "He got hit by that Sentinel back there, and he hasn't gotten up since. For some reason, his healing magic isn't working."

"Is he alive?"

"Barely. He needs help, badly."

Amy put Walter's arm over her shoulder as she began to walk up a flight of stairs. "Careful. There are steps up ahead."

Walter took a deep breath. "Alright. Okay, I can make it."

They walked up the stairs, until they reached a balcony of sorts. It was then that they saw just how big the desert was. Everywhere they looked, there were dunes, rocks, and no signs of any life."

Walter was looking around, even though he couldn't see. "I'm not sure… I'm not sure how much farther I could go. Are there no signs of civilization?"

Serah squinted, and in the distance she saw something that looked unnatural, too perfectly cut. She pointed at it. "There's something up ahead. It looks like an enormous statue."

Walter coughed, wheezing a bit. "How far?"

Serah looked again. "It's going to take us a few hours or so."

Walter put his head in his hand, looking crushed. "Stop, stop, stop, I can't do this." Amy was shocked to hear Walter say that. In all the years that she had known him, he never gave up. Whatever the Crawler did to him must have made him look only at the darkness.

"Of course you can. Come on," Amy urged.

Walter shook his head. "Listen to me. I can't see, I can barely stand. I won't just slow you down. I'll get you killed. Alex is already possibly gone. You can't help me."

Amy rolled her eyes, and grabbed Walter's hand. "Come. I'm not leaving you here to die."

Walter coughed, black spit coming out. "You can't save me. I'm dead weight now."

"Stop talking like that," Amy ordered harshly. "We're going to make it through this."

Walter let out a tired sigh of exasperation. "Won't you listen to me? That thing left you weak to. Don't you think I can tell? Listen; what you have to do is too important to risk for an old wreck like me. You have to go on without me."

Amy was slightly desperate, the proof of it in her tone. "I'm not leaving you here. I can't do this without you." Walter was limping along, his arm over Amy's shoulders, his feet dragging.

Amy stubbornly kept going. "I'm not leaving you."

Walter stumbled a bit before collapsing in a heap. "I can't…I can't!"

"Walter!"

Walter looked up at her, even though he still was blinded by darkness. "It's alright. It's going to be alright."

Amy looked at her mentor, an arm on his shoulder. "I'll come back for you, I promise. I'll get help."

Walter smiled weakly. "You'll do me proud. I know you'll do me proud." His arm fell from Amy's shoulder and his eyes closed, now unconscious. Serah tugged Amy away. "Come. These two aren't going to be the only ones in trouble if we don't hurry."

Amy reluctantly followed the Spartan, and they leapt from the ledge, the sand cushioning their fall. Serah made sure not to injure the fallen blonde in her arms anymore than he was, and they walked across the desert, wind kicking up sand into their faces.

The size of the dunes didn't help, as some of them were a bit steep and well over 15 feet tall. They crossed the last massive dune, and under the stone archway was someone sitting at a desk. And that person looked familiar.

"It can't be him. We left him on that ledge a mile back," Amy whispered. Sitting at the table was Walter. "Please, help me. I can't see. I'm blind."

They then heard the voice of the Crawler. The sun was blocked out, and the desert was dark. The crawler knew that Walter was left behind, and it seemed to enjoy reminding the two of it. "You left him to die. Now, he screams alone because of you!"

Amy held her hands over her ears. "Stop! Please, just stop!" Serah put Alex's body down, and she started casting magic spells everywhere she could hit. The image of Walter faded, and she picked Alex's body up. "It's only an illusion! Don't listen to it! It wants to drive you mad!"

The dark lights swirled around them, and a new illusion of Walter appeared, only this time he was being attacked by shadows. They were hitting him from every angle, and Walter wanted nothing more than to hide. "Please, I can't take this right now!"

Serah dragged Amy along, "Remember what I said. It isn't real!" The Crawler was not going to let up its mental torment of the Princess, for it casted another illusion of Walter, and this time blocked Serah from getting to her.

The image of Walter had a cloak of darkness surrounding him, and he faced Amy. "One day, the people of Albion are going to need you. I have to find out just how ready you are." The image drew his sword. "Fight!"

Sensing the younger girl's hesitation, Serah called out, "It's not really him! Think of it as something else!"

Amy swung her sword, and the image of Walter again faded away. The Crawler laughed cruelly. "He would have done anything for you. Now, as we take him, not even in death will he forgive you!"

Another illusion of Walter appeared, this time holding a torch. Serah and Amy followed it as it wasn't hostile. They were shocked when it began to speak. "My brigade had been pinned down by the enemy, until it was just me and two other men left. We retreated into a cave, but they never followed us. They just blew the entrance, sealed us in. we spent three days in that cave. No food, no water. Just three men waiting to die in the dark." The illusion disappeared, and the night grew darker as they ran up a flight of stairs underneath the statue they saw earlier.

The Crawler growled angrily, seeing they were still conscious and alive. "The light in your eyes offends us. Let it go out!"

Amy's vision turned black, and she fainted, leaving only Serah left. She placed Alex's body next to hers, and she took out her rifle, shooting frantically as her eyes too began to go out. The Crawler laughed as it saw Amy lying on the ground. "Are you blind? Are you blind yet?"

Serah grew angrier, and she stood over the two unmoving bodies, casting her magic in vain attempts to hit the Crawler. It was only a matter of minutes before she too blacked out, and before she hit the ground she heard the Crawler laugh. "You're all gone! There's nothing left!"

-0-

Amy woke up, and the first thing she saw was Alex and Serah passed out next to her. She was barely awake, and she looked up to see a pair of faces over her. One of them, a woman with a hairless head with tattoos, spoke first. "They're alive. The other can't be far away from here."

The other face was a familiar, cheerful and flirty soldier. "Taking a nap in the sun? Typical royalty. You had me worried for a moment there."

"Walter?" Amy asked groggily, still not completely awake. Ben shook his head. "We'll find him, don't worry. You just sit tight, my friend." Amy complied and her eyes fluttered shut again.

Ben followed the woman with the tattoos around, concern in his voice. "How are they?"

The woman was strangely calm. "The two women will be fine. They are strong. The males need to be tended to at once."

Ben shook his head as he saw the two bodies being escorted to the temple. "Hang in there Walter, Alex."

Amy opened her eyes again, and she saw Serah was sleeping beside her. The strange woman with tattoos was in front of her. "You're awake. Good. My name is Kalin, and you are in the City of Aurora. I have much to tell you."

Amy looked over to Alex's motionless form, blood still trickling from his mouth, although his eyes were shut. "Alex?"

Kalin's voice was the same, eerily calm. "He's badly wounded, and we can see the darkness is very deep within him, but he seems to beginning to heal quickly for some reason."

"Good, because I don't want to carry him around anymore," a muffled voice said. Amy looked down to see Serah was awake, stretching her arms. "Well, this journey has been brilliant. I could really use a pint now."

Amy snickered before facing Kalin. "Is there another one of my friends here? I thought I saw, in the desert…."

"A devilishly handsome soldier by the name of Ben Finn?" the soldier asked with a small smile. He kneeled down in front of the two. "I'm not dead yet, mate."

Next to Alex was Walter, and he had a priestess over him, performing a ritual on him. Serah looked over at the old soldier. "How is he?"

"He's lucky to be alive, just like the other, but we have seen his condition before. We may be able to help."

Ben put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. He's a tough old nut. He'll pull through."

Serah sighed and shook her head. "I don't know. I just can't seem to share that optimism. Although it seems Blondie is getting better, with his magic now active and functional."

Ben just seemed happy to see them. "I'm so glad you're alive. When I was fished out of the local port and the rest of you weren't there, I thought it was all over. Then I realized I was being an arse, and I worked my charms to get a search party out for you. Not that Kalin needed much persuading."

Kalin shrugged. "We are accustomed to misfortune. Now it is time you saw our city." The large, circular stone door to the room opened, and a dark, deserted city was below them.

Ben gave a sad gesture. "Welcome to Aurora. The city of nightmares." Kalin pointed to the ruined buildings and several bodies on the ground. "The Crawler did this, the being you fought in the desert caves. It appeared five years ago, bringing death and destruction. The few of us that remain have known nothing but fear since. We never know when it will come, and we cannot hope to defeat the creature and its spawn without an army, even with both of you on our side."

Kalin then faced Amy, a curious look in her eyes. "Ben Finn speaks most highly of you, but you are not the first outsider to come here. Please, walk down to our streets. See for yourself, then we make talk more."

Ben shook his head in despair. "You two go on. I've seen enough already. I'll go check up on Alex and Walter."

Serah and Amy walked down the stairs, reaching Aurora's streets. As it was night, the Crawler was likely to attack, and as a result the streets were empty, not a single person walking about.

They then saw a man standing in front of a shrine, doing something. Amy reached him first, and the man turned around. "You are the ones who survived the desert night."

Serah nodded. "Yes, we are." The man sighed and faced the shrine again. "We have not had much fortune with outsiders, but as you can see, fortune deserted us long ago."

"What are you doing here?" Amy asked. "Everyone else seems to be hiding."

The man straightened up, for although fear was in his eyes, he would not show weakness of any kind. "I am honoring the dead. My wife and my child."

Pangs of pity ran through Serah. She knew what it was like to lose your entire family, and not be able to do a thing about it. "I'm sorry."

The man's voice was full of sorrow. "You may read their memorials if you wish. There are many elsewhere. On statues, doorways. Wherever a memory will allow itself to live on."

Out of respect, Amy and Serah read the memorial, the Princess trying not to cry. Serah wrapped her arms around her. "Don't hesitate to cry. If you feel like it, then do it. No point in keeping it bottled up." Amy wiped her eyes. "No. I'm not… I'm not going to. Otherwise, that thing will have another thing to mock me for."

"You are stubborn."

They walked back up the stairs to Kalin, and Ben was with her. Kalin was waiting patiently, and her voice was still calm as she spoke. "Now you have seen what we have suffered. Ben Finn has said you are very good people, but you are not the only foreigners to reach this place."

"Who was the other?" Serah asked.

"His name was Logan. The King of Albion," replied Kalin. Amy was confused. "My brother came here?"

Ben snorted. "It seems he's been keeping secrets. He used to go on expeditions all the time remember? Until about four years ago."

"That's what Alex told me, as he used to be a Captain in the Royal Army," Serah mused.

"He too faced the Darkness, and he saw all his soldiers, save one, die from the shadow. He nearly died himself, but he survived, thanks to our care. He left with a promise. Logan said he would return with an army to defeat the Crawler. We never saw him again."

Amy was wrapping her head around it. "Does my brother know that Alex is alive?"

Serah shook her head. "I'm afraid not. He still thinks Blondie's dead. After he got experimented on though, I can't blame him for thinking that. Not many survive that."

Kalin faced Amy and Serah. "King Logan did not cause this, but he did nothing to stop it. Ben Finn has told us of your quest, your revolution. I ask of you to do what King Logan would not: save us from the Darkness, for we cannot continue living in fear forever. We may not have many warriors left among us, but we have ships, and we are willing to fight. Not for revenge, but for protection."

Amy nodded. "I understand."

Kalin shook her head. "I'm not finished. Promise that Aurora will be part of Albion. Not as a colony, but able to have a voice in your court."

Amy took Kalin's hand. "I promise."

Kalin's gaze hardened slightly. "Then let us go to war."

After the Auroran warrior was done speaking, a portal appeared. Both Heroes went through to see what the message was.

_The Road to Rule_

Serah and Amy arrived, with Theresa waiting for them. "You have survived a terrible ordeal, but both of you will be stronger because of it. It is time to gather your allies and take Bowerstone Castle." Before Serah could open her mouth, the seer was gone. "Fuck. I wanted to ask her more about the Crawler."

Amy sighed. "This fight isn't over. We have to overthrow Logan first."

Serah gave a small grin. "Yeah, I could use a good fight against real soldiers for once."

They ran over to the exit portal to ready the battle for Albion, and their allies were waiting.

_Aurora_

Amy and Serah were back in Aurora, and they headed back into the temple, where the priestess was still doing the ritual.

"How is he?" Ben asked. The priestess shook her head. "The darkness is deep within him. I don't know if he'll wake up again, as many people don't survive. As for the other, he just needs rest. His magic is now active, and the most extensive injuries are healed."

"But, you're doing your thing and he's getting better right?" Ben pressed. The priestess did not look at him. "I do not wish to give you any false hope."

Suddenly, Walter let out a wheezing cough, chuckling lightly. "Oh, balls to you all. You're not burying me yet."

Ben smiled as the old soldier woke up. "See? Didn't I tell you?"

Walter scoffed. "Yeah, shame that the first thing I see when I regain my sight is your ugly mug." This brought out laughter from everyone. Amy ran into Walter's arms. "I'm so sorry I left you behind."

Walter patted her on the back. "Don't worry. I told you that you'd make me proud." He got up, and he noticed Alex was still asleep next to him. "Has he woken up since that cursed place?"

Just then, Alex let out a sputtering cough. Walter shook his head as the blonde tried to right himself up, exhausted and beat up. "Good God that hurt. What happened?"

"You got hit by that Sentinel," Serah answered, pulling him to his feet. Alex flexed, and his eyes were on Kalin's sword. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to gut me right here. I don't want my blood to get everywhere."

"Kalin!" Amy shouted. But the Auroran woman took no notice of her protests, and she leveled the blade of her sword at Alex's throat. "You have the power of the Darkness. How do I know that you won't try to betray me?"

"Because I don't want this power. You know that too well Kalin."

"Alana died because of you, you fool!"

"Tell me something I don't already know and regret. Dying doesn't seem too bad."

Walter put his hand on Kalin's. "He's on our side. Please, just trust him and try to not kill him, as he's been vital to us."

Kalin lowered her sword, but she still gave Alex a mistrusting look. "Fine. If you make one wrong move, you'll be killed without a moment's hesitation. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," the blonde replied. He picked up his katana and put it back on its belt loop. "Well, that went rather well." He followed Ben to the ships where Kalin would also be.

Shaking their heads, Amy, Serah and Walter followed, with Walter stopping on the shore. "Well, we didn't find the army we were hoping for, and I feel about a hundred years older than when we left, but we're finally ready. You are the leaders Albion needs. It's time to gather your Generals and prepare for battle."

They boarded the ship, with Kalin glaring daggers at Alex, and the blonde was ignoring the looks of hatred. "Let's hope this ship lasts longer than the second."

Walter stopped as he boarded. "You know, maybe I'll take a little nap first. This is stressful business."

Serah slapped her head. "Oh yeah, you'll go sleep while the rest of us plan. Let me know when I can rest, will you?" Several fits of laughter were heard, although Alex was shut up by the angry look Kalin sent him. He sighed. "You know, I know you hate my guts, but you don't have to think about throwing me overboard. I still have some unfinished business with Logan."

The ship set sail, and they headed for Bowerstone.

_Bowerstone Old Quarter Port_

Page looked at a map of the city. "Alright, I've got it. I'll bring a small group of soldiers and blow up the west barracks. That should draw their attention and open up the main route."

"How's that better than my idea?" Ben asked.

"We will live longer than a few seconds?" Kalin and Alex pointed out dryly.

"Ah, you're just picking holes," Ben scoffed. Sabine prodded him with his cane. "Give it up boy. What I want to know is what my men need to do."

"that's for the future rulers to decide," Walter said, pointing to Serah and Amy.

"Page knows the city best. We'll follow her plan," Amy said after a nod from Serah. Sabine got lost in his imagination. "I want to be in the thick of the smoke, and the fire, and the glory. If Page takes the west route, it's only fair I take the east."

"I'll lead another group from around back, as most of their fire will be concentrated on Page and Sabine," Alex told them.

Ben shrugged. "That leaves the center for us. Less chance of getting lost."

"My ships will bring you to the beach here," Kalin told them, pointing at the map.

"There'll be heavy mortar fire, but like you said, most of Logan's soldiers will be busy with Page's men," Serah mused, tying up her hair.

"So, are we agreed?" Walter asked.

"You sure you're up for this Walter?" Amy asked cautiously. It was only a few days since Walter nearly died from the Crawler, and they didn't need him stopping in the middle of the fight.

Walter made a fist. "Oh, I may feel old and tired, but the day still hasn't come when I can't charge into a good old-fashioned fight."

Everyone put their hands over the map. "Let the Battle for Albion begin!"

_**Save game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: Sorry for the shorter chapter again, but it's really hard to write this section. Anyways, the Battle for Albion is about to start, but before I update again, I have a small request: get me up to 42 reviews before I update again. Otherwise, I'll just postpone it. See you on the other side!**_

_**Ja**_


	15. The Battle for Albion

_**A/N: Sorry for my delay, but I wanted to make sure I did this chapter as epic as possible. Also, I had to do some other stories that I wanted to be updated. Still, thanks for the support, and I'll do my best for this part. I don't own Fable or Halo; that is Lionhead Studios and 343 Industries property**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***The Battle for Albion***

Serah and Amy were taking cover behind a pile of sandbags, Walter and Ben with them. Ben looked over, firing at a pair of Elite soldiers. "Our people are getting torn to shreds out there! They need our help!"

"You don't say," Serah muttered, shooting a soldier in the head. Walter urged them, trying to hit an Elite soldier. "We've already lost one ship, and Kalin's could be next!"

A mortar round struck ten feet in front of them, killing two of their own soldiers. Walter drew his sword as they rounded the path, more Elite soldiers waiting for them. Serah clashed swords with one, grunting as the soldier attempting to overpower her.

"Not happening," she muttered, parrying a blow and slicing his chest open. Walter wiped the sweat off of his brow as more soldiers poured in. "The longer we wait the more of our people we lose."

Amy had her pistol out, unloading the clip into several Elite soldiers. One of them got close, and she clashed swords with him. The soldier leered at her. "King Logan wants your head on a pike traitor, and we're going to give it to him!"

Amy grew angry at the mention of her tyrant brother, and she slid the blade down and stabbed him in the heart. "I'll kill him myself if I have to."

"Can you take out that mortar? It's really starting to annoy me!" Ben yelled. Serah pulled out her rifle and lined up the sights. "I'm on it." Unfortunately, the angle was too extreme, and even Alex couldn't hit that. "Dammit. Out of range."

They headed up the path, t6heir swords being very busy as several Elite soldiers were waiting for them. "We're the best! Logan's Elite!"

Amy smirked and shot a barrel with her pistol, the explosion killing several guards. Their own soldiers charged the mortar, only to fall as a sniper was waiting for them.

"Sniper on the hill!" Serah warned, pulling out her rifle and firing three shots, two of them hitting their mark. As the sniper's body fell, Ben yelled again. "This is the moment you've been waiting for isn't it? Well, waiting's over!"

Serah and Amy ran around the corner, and they shot the soldier running the mortar. It was out of the fight.

"The mortar's down!" Walter yelled, prompting their soldiers to cheer. The way to the city was still blocked by gates, and that was when Kalin came in.

"The Auroran ships should be able to move in closer now. Come on Kalin, do your stuff," Ben muttered.

_On the Flower Power_

Kalin gave the order to let the cannons loose. "Fire!"

Seven cannons fired, streaking towards their target.

_Bowerstone Old Quarter_

The cannons struck the gate, and the heavy wood splintered, opening the way for the rebels.

"That's my girl!" Ben yelled. Walter waved at the rebel soldiers. "Let's take this fight into the city!"

Ahead, scattered in the streets, several Elite soldiers had set up barricades, trying to shoot at the rebels. "Come on men! All Hail King Logan!"

Amy grew even more furious, and flames began flickering in her fingers. Aiming in a wide radius, she unleashed her spell, the Elite soldiers being caught I the fiery vortex.

The homes, once housing the people of the Old Quarter, were now evacuated and burning in flames, utterly destroyed from the ensuing battle.

"How are you doing Walter?" Ben asked with a sly grin, shooting at a soldier. Walter shot three in the head before whirling around. "I'd rather you stop talking and let me fight!" The old soldier turned to the Elite soldiers. "This is more like it. You remember old Walter, you hobbe-munchers!?"

Amy ducked behind a barricade, popping up to fire a few rounds before reloading. "Dammit. They are persistent." Serah joined her, rolling out of the way of a few bullets. She reloaded her rifle. "It is quite fun though, right love?"

Serah peered over the barricade, and she shot the Elite soldier's head off. "Wow, talk about the saying 'Heads will Roll'." Amy rolled her eyes and headed up the street, followed by the rest of them.

All of a sudden, a house, the largest one in the Old Quarter, exploded, raining debris around them. Serah had covered Amy, while Ben and Walter were coughing their brains out. Out of the smoke, a tiny old man and his large companion waltzed towards them. The old man laughed. "Is this not the grandest time you've ever had? Hahahahaha!"

Walter stopped coughing to glare. "Sabine! You almost blew us the hell up!"

"He'll have to try harder than that," Serah muttered, drawing several snickers from Amy. Sabine's eyes became all misty. "You saw? A glorious beacon in the sky, burning in the night for all the-"

"Ugh, ugh!" the tall man beside him grunted nervously. Sabine turned to him. "What is it Boulder?"

They then heard the familiar whistling of a mortar. Sabine and Boulder fled. "Oh bloody hell! Move, move!"

The spot they were in a few seconds ago suddenly was replaced by a large crater. Walter chuckled as he drew his sword. "It'll take more than a grenade to take out that old sod!"

Ben rolled his eyes. "Meanwhile, let's do as he says and get moving, shall we!?"

"Quit shouting. Shit, my ears are bleeding already," Serah muttered. A large tree had fallen from a mortar shot, and it blocked the main route, completely blocking the street. Walter looked at it, sighing. "There's no way we're getting past that damn thing."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Please, haven't you noticed the houses around here? We can go through one of those!" Serah pointed to the house Sabine blew up. "That way!"

They ran through the smoldering remains of the house, and appeared on the other side where a few Dwellers were fighting Elite Soldiers. Ben chuckled. "Say what you want about Logan's army, but they really know how to make you feel welcome."

Serah scoffed as she drew her sword, flipping onto a soldier's shoulders and snapping his neck. "Quit talking and fight!"

Ben sighed and fired at the guards, disappointed as the guards fell to his bullets. Amy had blown up a few with a pair of very conveniently placed barrels filled with gunpowder.

"Be careful with those. You could kill our own men," Ben warned. Amy responded by pointing to the five soldiers walking towards them. "I aim for them."

Serah grimaced as a bullet grazed her elbow. "Dammit." The knick made her shot go high, just whistling over the guard's head. She drew her sword, and the guard did the same. As the two pieces of steel clashed together, the soldier leered at her. "King Logan will be happy to see a traitor like you die!"

Serah kicked him in the groin, crushing the soft organs and breaking his pelvis. As the soldier crumpled to the ground, screaming in pain, Serah sliced him in half, silencing him. "Never fuck with a Spartan."

Another group rounded the small park, and Ben grinned from ear to ear. "Another round of tossers coming up! Get ready!"

Walter charged, yelling a battle cry as he fought against the soldiers. "Come and get it!"

Serah let the Will lines cross her body, her fingers dancing with magic. She let loose a spell, and the guards screamed as the Ice Storm shards impaled them to the ground, killing some and incapacitating others. Those that lived were shot in the head by Amy and Walter. They wanted this clean.

They were clear of the park, the stone monument behind them, and they came across another gate. Walter frowned as he fired at an Elite Commander. "Another gate. I don't think Kalin's going to be able to blow this one up for us."

"I thought they were supposed to open doors for Queens, not the other way around," Ben commented. This left them rolling their eyes.

"Shut up Ben," Walter and Serah muttered, drawing their swords as the guards got too close for comfort.

The guards ran forward to meet them, their swords drawn. "You dare go up against us? We're the best of the best, Logan's Elite!"

"Please, I've fought against better when I was 15," Serah muttered, taking the legs out from one before stabbing him in the chest.

Amy waved them along. "Come on! The castle isn't too far now!" They jumped from the stone wall, and landed on the floor of a two-story house, mostly in flames. As they descended, they were closer to the castle, only a tenth of a mile away now. So close.

"Come on Page, where are you?" Ben muttered as they waited. Page joined them in the house, and the revolutionist was breathing hard, blood dripping from a wound in her arm. "My men are taking care of the east barracks. I couldn't leave you here alone."

"We appreciate it," Serah called back, currently fighting with an Elite Commander. She threw her sword in his chest, impaling him, before yanking it out. Her sword was coated up to the hilt in blood.

"Ugh, this is going to need one hell of a cleaning," Serah muttered, drawing her rifle to blow up the conveniently placed barrel, taking out a number of soldiers. Amy tossed her pistol in the air, a guard mesmerized by it, until he realized it was pointed at his face. He began to swear. "Fu-"

The Princess's facial expression didn't even change as she blasted his brains out. Ben laughed as he saw the soldier's body fly. "Elite Soldiers my arse. Have that!"

"I don't see any way we're getting past this gate," Serah murmured, looking up and down.

"Always with the damn gates!" Ben groaned, tired of the heavy wooden doors. Page stroked her chin. "What we need are explosives, but I used mine on the way here."

Ben rolled his eyes. "If only we knew some sort of tiny, crazy old man who happened to enjoy blowing things up…"

On cue, the doors exploded, and they heard familiar laughter on the other side. Sabine and Boulder walked down. "Did you see that Boulder? Let the whole city bow to our thunder!"

Ben looked at the two in confusion. "Hang on a minute. How did you get to the other side in the first place?" Sabine merely smirked, not wanting to share his little secret. "Dwellers have their ways my boy." His gaze hardened. "Is there anyone left to kill?"

Page nodded. "There are more troops on the way. Kalin's fleet and Alex have a fair few but not all." Sabine motioned for Boulder to follow him. "Come on Boulder, there's more fighting to be done."

Ben turned to Serah, Amy and Walter. "We'll hold them off." He smiled at the two women. "Good luck in there. Hopefully the crown fits."

Walter stretched, his bones cracking. "Let's finish this for good, while I can still stand up on my own."

The three spun around and seized the castle.

_Bowerstone Castle_

Inside the castle, it was more beautiful than Serah imagined, and it was completely empty, not a single guard around. They stopped outside the entrance to a set of doors. Walter looked at them. "Shall we knock? Nah, let's surprise him." They kicked down the doors, and on the other side was Logan, his sword partially out. Logan took sight of the visitors, and he sheathed his sword. "So, this is how it ends, the old fool, the traitor Lieutenant, and the child who ran away. You've finally become the woman I always wanted to you to be, Amy."

Walter stepped forward, his arms folded across his broad chest. "She's a lot more than that, and now, they're going to take your place."

To their surprise, it seemed that Logan didn't want to lead anymore. "Perhaps it is time that someone else has led Albion."

Amy's hands were in fists, her green eyes livid with anger. "You were never a leader, just another tyrant!"

Logan drew his hand along the map in the room. "Did it ever occur to you that I may have had good reason to be?"

Walter narrowed his eyes. "We're not interested in your petty excuses." Logan looked him straight in the eye, unflinching. "Cower behind ignorance if you will, but my sister deserves to know the truth."

Walter was fed up with the former king and he grabbed him by the arm, dragging him away. "Save it for the trial Logan. You can beg for your worthless life then."

Amy and Serah hugged in the room. "It's finally over. We did it."

-0-

Walter was waiting as Amy was dressed in her new clothing, fit for any Queen. All she was lacking was the crown. As she walked forward, onto the front balcony of her castle, she could hear the cheers of her people. Sabine bowed his head in respect, while Ben gave her a thumbs up, whispering, "No pressure."

Alex, Jasper, and Serah were last, and they bowed graciously. Even though she was joint leaders with Serah, the Spartan preferred the role of a General to a Queen. Walter placed the crown on Amy's head, and waved his arms to the people below. "All Hail the Queen of Albion!"

The crowd roared in support of the new leadership, for a Hero ruled on the throne once more, and they will be safe.

-0-

Inside the castle, Walter was waiting with a strange man, a man Amy had never seen before. He was short, portly, with gray hair that had a peak in the back. Walter smiled upon Amy's arrival. "There she is. The Queen of Albion. You've done it, just as I knew you would. It doesn't get any easier though. You've got a country to run now. And with Jasper busy in the Sanctuary, you'll need a new personal aide. Someone who can keep you organized."

The strange man bowed graciously. "Hobson, Hobson's the name, Your Majesty. I have a vast wealth of experience, I assure you. Although, I have yet to experience vast wealth, heh."

Amy tilted her head in amusement at the man. He was a bit comical. Hobson raised his hand. "That, Your Majesty, is an example of the sense of humor which will make our time together such a delight."

Walter nodded, his gaze hardening. "Very well, I'll leave you two to get better acquainted. I should begin preparations for the trial."

Hobson perked up as Walter walked away. "Of course. I'm sure you'll do a marvelous job presiding over your brother's trial, which I forgot to mention, will be our first order of business."

Amy ran a hand through her red hair. "What else do we have to do today?" Hobson waved his finger. "I'm not finished yet, Your Majesty. Among my other traits, I'm well gifted in toadying, public relations, and time management. And I heartily believe the key to being an excellent Queen is following a well scheduled royal agenda. If you permit me, here are today's appointments." He handed a clipboard to Amy.

Amy looked over, and then she put in her pocket. "Thank you Hobson."

Hobson bowed. "Your subjects await in the Throne Room for what is to be a historic occasion." Amy turned on her heel and left the War Room, walking with pride into the Throne Room. a crowd was already awaiting her, as were the leaders of the revolution, and _him_.

Walter snapped to attention upon seeing her. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Queen."

Amy sat on her throne, and Walter went to at ease before facing Logan. "Logan, former King of Albion, you stand accused of crimes against Albion and its people. Those that brought you to justice will now speak."

Sabine stepped forward, furious. "There are plenty who have died for their glory, and more who have suffered for it. I say, let this miserable bastard have some death of his own!"

Amy was shocked at the amount of poison in his tone. She then nodded for Ben to speak, and the former Captain was just as angry. "Look, I'm not one for lopping peoples' heads off, but we saw Major Swift executed, like it was a bloody circus act! He deserves nothing less as far as I'm concerned."

Page shook her head. "But aren't we better that that? Isn't that why we've fought against him? I've seen what Logan has done to this city. Children forced to work, people living in fear, but killing him won't change any of it."

Amy was fully considering the options of both choices. Then, Kalin stood up to speak. "It's not my place to decide his fate. But, he condemned many of my people to death. He promised us salvation and left us to face the Darkness alone."

For the first time, Logan defended himself. "I have good reason for that and I have good reason for the crimes you say I committed. The day I returned to Albion, I received a visit from a blind seer. Theresa, our mother's guide. She warned me that the Darkness in Aurora is coming here, bringing death, destruction, the end of our way of life!"

Logan paused, the boos of the people ringing in his ears. "The choices I made, I did them to protect Albion. If a few had to suffer, it was to raise an army. If a few had to die, it was to save a country."

Walter was looking at the former king in a new way. "If this is true, if the Darkness is really coming here, then we are all in grave danger."

Logan stepped forward. "I have spent years preparing for this attack. Let me stand by your side now, and all my soldiers will be yours to command. Let us face the coming Darkness together."

Amy looked down, her mind swirling. She hated Logan for what he did, but he was still her brother.

She looked back up, and Logan was waiting. "You have the power over life and death, sister. Choose, I'll accept my fate either way."

Amy's heart was tearing. He was still family.

'_No, the brother I knew is long dead. This is his shadow,' _she thought as she rose up, her mind made up.

The crowd was hushed, and Amy's voice didn't waver as she gave the sentence.

"You can't escape punishment for what you've done, Logan. I sentence you to death!"

Logan bowed his head as the crowd began to cheer, the tyrant going to kick the bucket.

Walter's voice didn't change either. "The Queen has spoken. Logan shall pay for his crimes against the people with his life!"

As Logan was dragged away by several guards, the crowd dispersed, pleased with her ruling. Serah came up from behind and hugged her comfortingly. "Amy, I'll stand by your side till the end."

Amy pulled out her pistol. "I'm going to do it myself. I want this to be proper." Serah saluted. "Yes ma'am. Please, this way."

-0-

Serah faced the guards. "Attention!" The guards snapped to, and they awaited the newly appointed General's orders. Serah looked up and down, making sure they were in formation. "At ease boys. The Queen is going to do this execution herself. Are there any objections?"

The guards didn't answer.

"Good." Serah turned around to face Logan, her expression icy. Logan stared straight ahead. "Keep my sister safe."

The guards snapped to as Amy strolled down the stairs, marching till she was right in front of her brother. Amy drew her pistol and aimed at his head. "This is where it ends." Logan straightened up, and Amy pulled the trigger, a single shot ringing out. The bullet struck Logan in the head, and he died instantly.

Amy put the smoking barrel away and left, Logan's corpse lying on the ground for the crows to pick at.

Serah cleared her throat. "Squad, dismissed!" The guards filed out, Serah behind them.

-0-

Amy and Serah were in the dining hall, silently eating. Alex was training a few recruits, even though it was well past 8pm. Amy looked down. "Serah, do you think what I did was right?"

Serah put down her fork, reaching across the table to hold her hand. "Amy, ask yourself this. Do you regret doing it?"

The Queen shook her head. "No."

Serah leaned back, a sad smile on her lips. "Then don't worry about it. We have a large amount of forces here, and people are volunteering to join the army."

All of a sudden both of them were shrouded in gold light, and were automatically gone.

_The Road to Rule_

Amy and Serah were in front of Theresa, only one more gate in front of them. Theresa shifted in her robes. "You were little more than a child when you left on this journey. You became a rebel, a leader, and now, finally a monarch. And now that you are the leaders, you can know the truth. Albion will soon be attacked. And it could not be more deadly."

They were filled with a vision, one of the map of Albion. Theresa spoke of the threat, her voice low and eerie.

"Darkness is coming to our land. It cannot be reasoned with. It cannot be halted. It will swallow everything in our land." Dark sludge began to cover the map, shocking them.

"That is why you had to take your brother's place, as only with you do we stand a chance of survival."

The vision ended, and Amy wanted answers. "Why didn't you tell me this at the start!? It was never about Logan was it!?"

Theresa shook her head. "I told you what you needed to know, and I never spoke anything but the truth. With your brother on the throne, Albion would have been in great danger. That much I know. Only with you two do we stand a chance for survival."

"How do we stop it?" Amy asked. Serah shook her head. "We can't. We're gonna have to fall back and save as many civilians as we can, for the Crawler will not spare any of us."

Amy sighed, knowing the Spartan was right. "True."

Theresa was still there. "How you two do this is up to you, as there are two paths ahead." An image of them appeared, with their arms outstretched and blue/white eagle wings coming from their backs. "One: You can choose to keep the promises you made, and be known as a benevolent monarch. But remember that doing so will leave you with very little to spend on the kingdom's protection, and may lead you to disaster. It is not easy to be popular and keep the treasury full, unless you are willing to sacrifice your personal wealth."

Another form appeared, this time with more demonic black/red wings and a small circle of flames. "Or, you may choose to break those promises. To harm your people in order to protect them. You won't lack the means to build an army, but you'll be hated. This will cast you in the role of a tyrant, as it did your brother."

Amy shook her head. "No… I refuse to be like him."

Theresa's lips twitched slightly. "Now go. You'll have on year to do save Albion from the greatest threat it has ever faced." The seer faded away, and there was a sudden surge of power.

Serah fell to one knee, her hands alive with magic as the spells charged until they released into the sky, a surge of pure, raw magic.

She got up, and her sword and rifle had changed as well, her sword having an aura of lightning and her rifle one of flames. "Bloody hell, I was not ready for that one."

Amy too collapsed, only to be brought back up by her magic recharging into a hell storm. When she came to, the feeling of her power coursed through her, much stronger than she was a minute ago. They looked at the portal on top of the mystical castle. "We'd better go through."

They entered the portal, knowing they had one year to prepare for the rise of the Darkness….

_**Save game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: I decided to combine the Coronation and The Battle for Albion into one chapter, as the length was too short for my standards. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'm hoping for some feedback. See you!**_

_**Ja**_


	16. Desert Star

_**A/N: Heh, the reactions to killing Logan made me chuckle a bit, and the way Amy's going to rule will be a mixture of both tyrant and benevolent. Hey, we can't be all good can we? I no own Fable or Halo; Lionhead Studios and 343 Industries are the owners (for now). *Goes into dark corner and plots to get both companies***_

***Desert Star ***

_Bowerstone Castle_

Amy and Serah were back in the castle, with Walter and Hobson waiting. Walter snapped to. "Your Majesty. The news we've received, the Darkness that's coming, no one will understand what it means. Hell no one can, not without experiencing it first."

Serah straightened her uniform. "I have Alex training a few recruits, though I do hope he doesn't kill them in frustration."

Walter agreed. "We'll need to raise a fortune to pay for the army we'll need. Hobson will show you the treasury, and I'm certain he'll show you on just how to fill it."

Hobson nodded happily. "Indeed I can!"

Walter acknowledged the advisor. "Very well. I'll leave you to it. Ben, Alex, Serah and I will be recruiting and training soldiers at once."

Serah and Walter left, leaving Amy alone with her new advisor. Hobson bowed gracefully. "If you'll follow me, Your Majesty." As Amy followed him into a room with a small pile of gold, Hobson let out a contented sigh. "Oh, have I looked forward to this moment."

He pointed to the gold. "This is it. Albion's royal treasury. The store of the kingdom's total wealth." The pile was only about 400,000 gold pieces big; not anywhere near enough to fund an army.

Hobson smiled sadly. "It's not as, um, replete as one would like, but imagine this room shimmering with hills, valleys, and plateaus of gold. A topography of riches going all the way up to the ceiling! It will require nothing less to build this army everyone is talking about. Which brings us to our next order of business, and one I'm particularly excited about. "

What is it?" Amy asked. Hobson smirked. "Setting the tax rate for the coming year. You have three clear choices, my Queen. One, lower the tax rate, which will help the poor and the hungry, but leave the treasury in a miserable state. Two, keep Logan's policies. It's not a popular move with the people, but moderately popular with the treasury. Or three, and don't let my enthusiasm sway you in any way, but raise them even further. Many will suffer, but we will have more gold to spend. What will it be, Your Majesty?"

Amy paused. She didn't want to raise them as people would die, but she couldn't lower them at all because they would have nothing.

'_I guess I have no other choice,' _she thought. She cleared her throat. "Keep them as they are."

Hobson bowed. "Very well, Your Majesty."

He crossed out the tax policy and faced Amy again. "Reaver has a most interesting proposal for you in Bowerstone Industrial. Now, I know you've had your differences, but it is time to put those aside and work together. No one can raise money like Reaver can, I assure you. I've seen to it that your presence among the populace is well publicized, so expect a crowd."

_Bowerstone Industrial_

Amy walked through the streets of Bowerstone Industrial, and she saw that Hobson was right. All around her, people were cheering as she passed them. "Your Grace! So good to see you!"

She stopped right in front of a factory, where Reaver and Page were waiting. The latter seemed a bit cross about having her enemy near her.

Reaver smiled as he saw the young Queen. "Oh, happy day, her Majesty graces us with her radiant presence. I knew last time we met that you would emerge victorious from such public sibling rivalry. Now, here I am, to assist you in filling your coffers till they are fit to burst."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Get on with it."

Reaver smiled again. "What better way to begin your reign than by reinstating one of my most successful policies? There is no greater waste than the idleness of our fair city's youth, but my employment scheme guarantees that children of all ages will have something to occupy them, while ensuring our factories are properly manned."

Page shook her head. "That's-…It's just monstrous! Don't listen to him. You promised you would end child labor, remember that promise now." Her eyes were filled with pleading.

Reaver scoffed. "Then what would you have us do with the snotty little indiginants?"

Page shook her head. "The only way Bowerstone is going to crawl out of this miserable gutter is through education. Nothing is more important to our children than that. Turn this factory into a school. Give the children of this city the chance they never had."

Reaver's eyebrow rose. "A school? Well, if you'd like to be known as a pauper monarch, by all means go ahead. Reaver Industries will abide by your ruling."

Amy hated the idea of children being forced to work, and her ruling was rather quick.

"The factory will become a school," she decreed. Page sighed in relief. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Let's begin making this country a better place."

Reaver's expression didn't change at all. "As you wish, Your Majesty. I shall begin the modifications at once."

Several hours passed, and Reaver certainly was industries, as the factory was now a school. He waved his arms inside. "Welcome to Reaver Industries Learning Center. Here, your child will learn how to be a smart adult and contribute to our cause."

Amy stood in front of the new school, and she looked at her clipboard, crossing it off her list. She began the trek back to her throne.

_Bowerstone Castle_

Amy sat on her throne, and Page and Reaver were waiting, along with a large crowd. Walter looked at her. "My Queen. You will decide what is to be done with the Bowerstone Old Quarter, the site for the Battle of Albion. Page will offer her proposal. Reaver will stand against her."

Amy nodded. "You may speak."

Page stepped forward. "Your Majesty, our victory came at a great cost to the city. Many of the homes were destroyed and many people are left homeless. I ask that we rebuild the city."

Reaver scoffed. "It is unfortunate that people are left homeless, but as its name implies, it was old. We don't have anywhere near enough supplies to rebuild it, so we should leave it as it is."

Amy thought about it. "Page, as much as I would love to say yes, we simply don't have the supplies or time to rebuild the Old Quarter. So, I'm afraid to say it, but the request is denied. The shelter in Industrial should suffice."

Reaver sighed. "Sanity prevails. I shall see that no negative attention is directed towards you."

Page shook her head. "You have turned your back on those who need you the most. Has anything changed since Logan was overthrown?"

Amy glared at Pages returning back. "How dare you compare me to him. This is not an ideal time. You should understand that."

The crowd agreed with Reaver. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. We'll leave it as a monument to save the memory."

Amy calmed down and sat back down. "Well, today's work is done."

-0-

Amy waited for Hobson in the treasury. The man rushed in, panting a little bit. "Sorry I'm late. Our next order of business is concerning the guard budget for the towns. Should we have more guards in our towns to make then safer, or do we lower it so we can have money in the treasury?"

Amy sighed reluctantly. "I hate to say it, but if we raise the budget, then we condemn many to death later on. Lower the budget."

Hobson bowed. "Very wise, Your Majesty. Better to have cities with criminals than cities full of very dead people. Here is the agenda for the day."

Amy took it, and she raised an eyebrow in interest. "Decoration?"

Hobson nodded. "Your day in court should be enjoyable. Decoration is a passion of mine, and I can't wait to see your choice. The designers await you in the Throne Room."

Amy walked into the Throne Room, where the crowd cheered upon seeing her. "Your Majesty!"

Waving to the people, Amy took her seat, waiting to hear them. Walter snapped to attention. "Today, you will decide on the décor of the castle." He pointed to two people standing before her. "Two of Albion's greatest interior designers have come to express their ideas."

Amy nodded. "You may speak."

The man bowed flamboyantly, giving the Queen the impression that he was as straight as a circle. "I am Herman Worthy, and I have an idea that will blow your royal socks off. Imagine this castle being bright, loving yet fearsome. It will say, 'I am mighty, hear me roar, but look how pretty my house is."

The woman next to him scoffed. "Loving? Pretty? Please. This castle should be an image of fear, and the halls should be coated with blood. Or the paint equivalent. People respect what they fear, and your castle should be no exception."

Amy scoffed. "I'm not going to take fashion advice from someone dressed like a whore."

She turned to Herman. "I wish this to be an enlightened castle."

Herman was ecstatic. "Oh, fabulous Your Majesty, fabulous! Your castle shall be a vision of purity."

The woman sucked her teeth. "And once more, fashion and good sense must choke down their nausea." Amy glared at her. "Out, now!" Guards dragged her away, and Herman ran to go design the castle.

-0-

Next in line were Reaver and Kalin, and Amy had an idea where this was going.

Walter cleared his throat, a bit dry from all his shouting. "Today, you will decide on the future of Aurora, Your Majesty. Kalin will offer her proposal, Reaver will stand against her." Amy mentally noted to get Walter a beer after this.

Amy nodded. "You may speak."

Kalin bowed and began to talk. "I come here asking you to keep your promise. Aurora was devastated by the Crawler, and we helped you fight in the battle. I ask that you help us rebuild our land, and protect it as you would your own. Let us join your kingdom."

Reaver smirked, and it was clear he had an idea about something. "I couldn't be happy to let Aurora join the kingdom, but surely they must work for that privilege, and I know just where to start. There is a mine on the outskirts of Aurora, where valuable supplies are ready to be worked. We can have them work there and the debt is settled."

Kalin turned to Reaver, seething in anger. "You are talking about forced labor."

Reaver smirked and shook his head. "Please, you're just picking holes now."

Amy stood up. "Kalin, you have to understand this. We simply do not have sufficient materials to rebuild Aurora, so I'm afraid we have no other option but to use that mine. But, I'm willing to send a few people of mine to assist you, and only those unemployed will have to work."

Kalin wasn't too happy, but she could see the Queen was right. "You are better than your brother, no matter how anyone looks at it. Very well, I'll be pleased to see the city restored."

Reaver smirked. "Not bad, Your Majesty. You are a clever monarch after all. It will begin at once."

-0-

Amy and Serah were in the Treasury, along with Hobson. The financial advisor seemed happy to stand in the presence of two Heroes.

"I trust the court was not too dull today, Your Majesty?" he asked. Amy sighed. "Honestly, sometimes it's really difficult to do this. No wonder my brother turned out the way he did."

Serah affectionately leaned on her. "Nah, you're way too cute to turn out like him." Hobson waved his hand. "Um, my Queen? General? I'm still here."

They both turned to him. "Sorry."

Hobson sighed. "Anyway, your popularity in Aurora hasn't changed much. We've made quite a profit from the mines and assisted labor, and the treasury currently stands at 1,100,000 gold, but we'll need a hell of a lot more than that."

"Tell me something I don't know," Serah muttered, drawing a snicker from Amy. Hobson rolled his eyes. "Speaking of Aurora and profits, we have just come across some very good news in that area. A pair of explorers have found a rare diamond in the desert. They heard about the extraordinary gem from the locals, and without a moment's hesitation for their own lives, set out to find it."

"Does that sound like something we do on a daily basis?" Serah whispered to Amy. The Queen chuckled. "Nah, we have the skill to actually do it, that's the thing."

Hobson stroked his beard. "That may explain why only one of them returned in one piece. He came back empty-handed, speaking of the hideous desert beings guarding the temple. Think about the glory, Your Majesty. The adventure. The romance. The large sums of money we stand to make. The diamond sits in the ruins of an ancient, abandoned temple in the desert. You need only to take it."

"You know, it sounds too easy to be true," Serah muttered as she followed Amy out and into the War Room. The Queen was about to answer when a guard came along, holding a small bundle of fur. Her eyes widened. "Kyoki!"

The dog leapt from the guard's arms to greet her owner, giving her affectionate licks. The guard snapped to attention and saluted. "General, My Queen. We were asked to deliver the dog from Page. I guess it stayed behind in Industrial."

Amy nodded and petted the dog's warm fur. "Be a good girl and stay here. I'll be back again." The dog barked in acknowledgement. In a flash both Heroes were gone.

_City of Aurora_

Serah and Amy arrived in Aurora, and some of the locals were around. Some were clapping, others weren't.

"Look at it this way love. This city is bustling again, and the mine has been a great boost to the economy. It was right," Serah told her after seeing the anxious looks on the Queen's face.

Amy sighed. "I know. Theresa did tell us it wouldn't be easy." She saw a shop in the distance, and she was intrigued. "A weapons' shop? We could do with a pair of new weapons."

Serah laughed and walked in. "You could say that." The man inside the shop bowed as they entered. "Your Majesty. Pick whatever you want. We have plenty to go around."

Serah looked at a sword, the handle curved for more fancy swordplay and a broader blade with a balverine face. "Now this looks fun. What's it called?"

"That is Avo's Lamentation, General. Do you like it?" the man asked. Serah nodded and reached in her pocket to pay when he raised his hand. "You don't need to pay. Like I said, choose whatever you like."

Amy was drawn to a spectacular looking pistol, one very similar to the one Alex had. "This looks sweet. What's its name?"

The shop owner scoffed. "That is the Reaver Industries Perforator, and it packs more punch than standard pistols. Take it if you like."

With their new weapons, they set out into the desert to find the gem.

_Shifting Sands_

Serah drew her new sword, twirling it in her hand. "I don't have a good feeling at all." They ran down the stairs, and they paused, hearing a strange noise from beneath the sands.

"Did you hear that?" Serah whispered. As if on cue, several hooded figures leapt from the sand, flipping around them.

"Ah shit. Sand Furies!" Serah complained, her new sword out. She swung at one and missed, the Fury leaping over her head. Serah dropped her sword and snapped its neck as it flew over her, picking up her sword.

"Nice style," Amy commented, emptying her new pistol into a pair of the desert beings. They seemed to get angrier after seeing one die, and they rushed the Heroes with newfound rage, their swords slashing skillfully in the air.

Woah, not today," Amy exclaimed, sliding underneath one and shooting it in the chest. The dead Fury flew over her. Serah sidestepped an attack and thrust her sword through the last Fury's back, the body going limp with a large amount of blood.

Serah wiped the blood off Avo's Lamentation, and she put the sword across her back. "Let's go before more of those damned things show up. I'm' getting tired of them already."

"I figured as much," Amy laughed, twirling her pistol before dropping it in the holster. They walked through the sand until they reached the opening of a temple. This must be where the damn diamond was. After a simple shrug, they entered the abandoned temple.

_Sandfall Palace_

Serah looked around, her weapons out. "Now this is one large-ass temple. Hopefully there isn't any extremely cross beings in here."

They walked only a few steps forward when another pack of Sand Furies jumped out. The Spartan groaned angrily. "Oh, for fucks' sake!"

"We should've known," Amy agreed, her gun loaded with a fresh clip. She threw her pistol in the air, and a Fury was mesmerized by it. Amy caught it, pointed the gun at the Fury's head, and squeezed the trigger. "Headshot bitches!"

Serah raised an eyebrow. "Are you attempting to take my lines?"

"Maybe~."

They laughed and shot the last Fury in the, well, crotch, and headed on their way.

The inside of the temple was even larger, several floors suspended by pillars of stone. They ran until a pair of Sand Furies ran down a flight of stairs and rushed them, only to meet a pair of powerful spells, one Ice Storm/Shock and the other Fire/Vortex.

"Well, this is going to be a long day. Any ideas other than fighting our way through?" Serah asked. Amy shook her head. "No, not really. Sorry love."

"Ah well. It could be worse."

They headed up the stairs, to see that the temple reached farther back than they originally thought.

"Damn, how big is this place?" Serah asked, a new group of Sand Furies running forward to meet them with swords. "Oh for fucks'…"

"Do you miss Alex during times like this?" Amy asked as she ducked a Sand Fury's sword, shooting it in the chest twice. Serah side stepped and thrust her sword through another's back, a geyser of blood spraying the sand. "I'll admit it, yes. As long as the moron doesn't decide to use his magic, we're fine."

"It doesn't like to work in the desert does it?" Amy agreed, hissing as water splashed her. "Dammit."

They headed up the stairs, turning onto one of the platforms. At the far end, another group of Sand Furies rushed them, their swords behind them. Before any of them could reach them though, they were all dead, their bodies littered with bullet holes.

"Yeah, next time we decide to do something like this, call Blondie and get us a few extra men," Serah muttered. Alex was back to his rank of Captain, and Sergeant Nick was now First Sergeant, and the latter had a bit too much fun with the new recruits the other day. Let's just say the new soldiers don't want to see another push-up in their lives.

"Would we bring Nick with us?" Amy asked, pausing to take a breather. Serah thought about it. "Hmm, he is a good fighter, as his squad was crucial in the Battle for Albion, but the negativity kinda lowers it, you know what I mean? A grumpy attitude doesn't really help motivate your troops."

"Point taken."

They walked through the doors, and the palace reached an end, a very large diamond all the way in the back. Serah pointed at it. "There it is."

They ran through the room, sand kicking up behind them. After a nod from Serah, Amy picked it up.

On cue, four packs of Sand Furies leapt from the sand, screeching in anger as the treasure they were meant to protect was now taken.

Serah pushed Amy behind her and drew her rifle. "Get back! I'll handle them." The Spartan began to pick the desert creatures off, one by one. For everyone that died, another took its place.

Serah stopped shooting to reload. "Shit, just how many of these damn things are in here!?"

"Too many," Amy answered from behind her. The Spartan had her work cut out for her, as a pair of Sand Furies jumped her. Amy put the diamond in her pocket and made to help her, only for Serah to shoot her rifle one handed while she blocked a Sand Fury's sword with her own blade.

"Shit, I might need a bit of help," Serah grunted. Amy pushed the Fury off, and Serah kicked it in the head, snapping its neck.

The Spartan paused to catch her breath. "We have to find a way out of here or we're dead!"

Another Sand Fury launched itself in anger at her, only for a bullet to take its head off. Serah turned to see Amy's pistol smoking. "Let's go, quickly!"

They ran down the stairs, a pair of the desert creatures waiting below. Rolling her eyes, Serah drew her rifle, lined up the sights, and squeezed the trigger three times, all of the shots hitting their mark. "We really are outnumbered badly."

They jumped from the platform, landing on the sand below. No Sand Furies were waiting for them, so they ran out and onto the next platform, where there was water below to cushion their fall. Serah swan dived into the water, making a small splash as she did so. Her poked up. "It's deep enough!"

Amy sighed and jumped in, landing next to Serah. The two women swam to the other side, their clothes beginning to dry out quickly. The exit wasn't too far now, and they could see one last group of Sand Furies at the top of the stairs, waiting for them.

"Up there! Four of the buggers too," Serah groaned, her rifle already out. She took out two of the Sand Furies with precise shooting, but the other two jumped down and sliced in her direction.

Serah was busy fighting one, and Amy was out of range when the other Fury tried to stab her in the back. All of a sudden, a black blur leapt down and slashed with its sword multiple times, the movements extremely fast.

Serah got a better look at the newcomer. "Alex!? What the hell are you doing here!?"

Alex gave a sly smirk as he sheathed his sword. "Hobson told me what you two lovebirds decided to go out and do, and I need some good action myself. First Sergeant Nick and Second Lieutenant Red are training my Company right now."

Serah slapped him. "You're a bit late you dumbass." Alex rubbed his cheek, muttering under his breath in the hope the Spartan wouldn't hear him. "Nice to see old habits don't die at all."

Serah heard the remark, and she smacked him again. "I heard that!"

Amy dragged her away. "Just come on! We still have to give the bloody thing to Hobson."

Chortling, the group ran out of the temple, hoping to never seen it for a long time.

_Shifting Sands_

They were back in the desert by now, and Alex stopped to rub his eye. "Son of a bitch."

Serah tilted her head to one side. "Is it your magic?" The blonde nodded, grimacing. "It hurts whenever I'm in the desert, and so much of my power is rendered useless."

Amy grabbed him and transported them back into their land.

_Bowerstone Castle_

When they arrived in Bowerstone Castle, they were in the Treasury, with Hobson eagerly awaiting them. Amy gave him the stone, and the old man's voice hitched for a moment. "It's…it's more beautiful than I ever imagined. And heavy too! Our experts estimate this is worth a small fortune! What should I do from with this precious stone? Should I deposit the funds from the sale into the treasury? Or would you rather have it in a more personal account?"

Amy didn't even have to think twice about it. "Put the money into the treasury."

Hobson bowed, pleased. "A magnanimous gesture indeed! Putting the safety of your people before your own reward. Bravo, Your Majesty, bravo."

Serah lightly tapped her shoulder. "Now that's an extra 700,000 gold for the military to use." She turned back to Alex, who snapped to attention. "Go make sure Charlie and Delta Company are ready. I want to have a little exercise with them."

The Captain saluted and left to go prepare the two Companies, leaving the two Heroes alone. Serah leaned on Amy's shoulder. "We're off to a good start, but we'll need even more than this to save Albion."

"I know, and I'll do it without becoming like my brother."

_**A/N: Well, there you guys go! I hope you enjoyed it, and it kinda makes me sad that this is one of the last chapters T_T. This story is nearing its conclusion, but there WILL be a sequel. Feedback of any kind is appreciated. See you!**_

_**Ja**_


	17. Crime and Punishment

_**A/N: Sorry for my little delay, but I had some work that needed taken care of. I cannot believe this story is almost done, I kinda wanna cry now… I loved writing this, and I hope the sequel I do is just as good. ANYWAY, I do not own Fable or Halo; that is 343 Industries and Lionhead Studios property.**_

_**Load game… Start!**_

***Crime and Punishment***

Serah glared at the recruit who just missed with a mortar. "Careful, you idiot! I said across its nose, not up it!"

The recruit turned around, and she saw he was cross eyed. "Sorry ma'am, I'm doing my best."

Serah looked over to Alex. "Who made this man a gunner!?" Before the blonde could open his mouth, another cross eyed soldier spoke up. "I did ma'am. He's my cousin."

Serah rolled her eyes. "Who the hell is he?"

"He's an asshole ma'am," Alex replied. Serah slapped her head. "I know that! What's his name!?"

Alex kept a straight face. "That is his name, Asshole. Major Asshole."

Serah gave him a look. "And his cousin?"

Alex snickered. "He's an asshole too, ma'am."

Serah rolled her eyes and faced both Delta and Charlie Company. "How many assholes do we have in this group anyway!?"

Nearly ninety percent of the soldiers put an arm in the air. "YO!"

Serah sighed and sank down. "I knew it. I'm surrounded by assholes!" She stood back up and cleared her throat. "Keep firing asshole!" _**(A/N: Sorry, I couldn't resist. Ten cookies for whoever can guess where that little segment is from XD)**_

-0-

Amy stood in front of Hobson, the advisor looking gleeful about something. _'I have a feeling I'm not going to like this one either.'_

Hobson cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, as you are aware, your brother had imposed a limit on how much alcohol one could buy in a day. Naturally, the people are claiming this restriction is a violation of rights and want it removed."

Amy rolled her eyes. "We don't need a bunch of drunken idiots walking around the country."

Hobson chuckled at the Queen's remark. "Exactly, which brings me to this. Some residents in Millfields would like alcohol to be banned in the kingdom, saying it causes indecent behavior. What do we do?"

Amy face-palmed. "This is not a serious issue, and the bloody nobles know I have better things to do than this. For fuck's… keep the damn limit!"

Hobson smirked at her outburst. Reminded him like someone else he served. He looked at the clipboard. "I've heard that Reaver's latest proposals are both scandalous and delicious. It should be such a delight."

'_I seriously doubt that,' _Amy thought dryly. She walked to the Throne Room, a bit happy to hear the cheers of the people ring in her ears. "Your Majesty! So good to see you!"

Walter cleared his sore throat, and Amy quickly tossed him a beer, which he gulped down. "The matter before you today concerns the Bowerstone Shelter. Reaver will offer his proposal, and Page will stand against him."

Amy nodded. "You may speak."

Page bowed before she began. "Your Majesty. The shelter has long been the home for the disenfranchised people of this city, but it is in dire need of repairs. I ask that we repair the building, and help those in need. It is going to cost us 50,000 gold pieces."

Reaver finally began. "I couldn't agree more. The people of this place do need help. But, it is not shelter they require. It is love."

Amy had a bad feeling as to where this was going.

Reaver smirked before continuing. "After all, love and money have always gone hand in jolly hand. Turn the place into a brothel!" Everyone was shocked by the statement, with Walter spitting out some beer. "WHAT!?"

Even Page was trying to comprehend it. "A brothel!?"

Reaver shrugged. "Brothel, bordello, whorehouse; the name does not matter at all. All that matters is that people go into the bloody place, and we get their money!" Page just stared at him.

Amy sighed and rubbed her temples. "Page, nearly two dozen new homes have been built just outside of the shelter. Send those in need to the homes, and they'll live for free. As for the actual shelter, I'm not turning it into a house for whores. For goodness sake, make it a damn bar, not…that! I thought I'd never have to hear your disgusting sexual nature again…"

Page raised an eyebrow. "The people who need shelter will get it?"

Amy rolled her light eyes. "Yes, Page. The Shelter will become the new Bowerstone Bar, while the homeless will go into the houses along the side for free."

Reaver smirked. "Clever girl. I shall begin to changes at once." Page let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. The people won't have to be exploited for our cause."

Page left, although Reaver stayed. It turns out he had another proposal, as Hobson said. A hippie came along, and it seemed as though he was the other representative.

Walter pounded his chest. "Excuse me… alright now. The next matter is the disposal of the city's waste. Reaver will offer his proposal, and a member of the Mourningwood community will stand against him."

Amy sighed and nodded. "You may speak."

Reaver again stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I'm sure that you have noticed a certain odor around the city as of late. I'm afraid this is not the stench of the unfortunate. Bowerstone is beginning to have a serious waste issue."

'_Now that I think about it, he is right. It does smell in the city. Rather badly too,' _Amy thought. Still, she figured Reaver was up to something, and she motioned for him to continue. "Go on."

Reaver smiled. "Part of our waste is already flowing into Mourningwood. As you know, it is a region with no value to the kingdom whatsoever. Even the fortress has been long abandoned. With very little effort, Reaver Industries can make all of the waste channel into that dreary Hollow Man infested swamp."

The hippie shook his head, and Amy could smell the dirt coming off of him. "This isn't right! We can't turn the earth into our waste! Build a waste disposal plant, and help keep the world clean. It will cost the kingdom much though…200,000 gold to be exact."

Amy closed her eyes. _'I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place here, aren't I? It might seem like the right choice, but we can't afford to build new waste plants just yet. I guess there's no other choice. Please forgive me.'_

Amy stood up, her heart tearing. "I'm sorry that is has to come to this, but we simply cannot spare any amount of gold to build a new waste disposal plant. Mourningwood will be on the receiving end of the city's sewage. I recommend everyone in that area evacuate and head for Driftwood."

Reaver tapped the ground with his cane. "I shall begin the flushing at once." The hippie held his head low, saddened. "This is heavy. This is totally heavy. You've turned nature into your toilet bowl. But she'll fight back, you'll see. One day, in like a thousand years, she'll fight right back."

Amy face-palmed. "Then may I be thankful I'm not going to live that long. Court is dismissed for the day. I'm heading to the training grounds for a bit."

The crowd left, and Amy whistled for her dog to follow. The furry one seemed happy to be by her master's side again. Amy knelt down to scratch Kyoki behind the ears. "Do you think what I'm doing is right?"

The dog barked happily, and Amy allowed herself to smile a bit. "Thanks girl."

She walked out of the castle, and she saw Alex and Serah training some more soldiers. The two saluted upon seeing her. "Your Majesty."

Amy smiled, happy that at least these two would stand by her. "So, how's the training going?"

Serah sighed and rubbed her temples. "I can't even put it into words…" Confused, Amy turned to Alex, who was snickering. "Apparently, Charlie and Delta Company are nearly all assholes. I think it's hilarious, while she does not."

First Sergeant Nick inspected both Companies, and he narrowed his eyes. "I'm taking roll now. When I call your name, sound off. Understood!?"

The battalion shouted, "YES, FIRST SERGEANT!"

Nick took out his clipboard. "Now… Wynters?"

"Here, First Sergeant."

"Micheals?"

"Here, First Sergeant."

"Ryan?"

Only silence answered him, and he glared at the battalion. "Where the hell is Corporal Ryan!?"

Feya Wynters pushed her hair back. "He's polishing his rifle again."

Nick rolled his eyes. "I swear to God, if he's not in formation in the next two minutes, I'll kick him from here to fucking Mistpeak!"

Feya gave the First Sergeant a look. "With all due respect, that doesn't seem possible…"

"IT WAS A FIGURE OF SPEECH!"

Serah sighed and stepped out for a bit, and thirty seconds later she was dragging a disheveled soldier along. "Come on; get your ass in there."

The soldier got in rank, and he gave a salute. "Here, First Sergeant."

Nick glared at him, quite angry. "Congratulations, you get to do push-ups as your reward." The soldier gave a groan, but stopped as he saw Nick reach for his sword.

Serah sighed and turned to Red, who was now here with Alex. "You get to be in charge and make sure Nick doesn't kill them." Red nodded happily. "Yes ma'am~."

Serah beckoned Alex to follow her, and they walked with Amy back into the castle, where Hobson was waiting, and he seemed intrigued. "Page has requested a meeting in the old Resistance headquarters. How very cloak and dagger. I wonder what she wants."

The advisor left, and Alex raised an eyebrow. "Why would Page want to talk to us there?"

Serah gave a shrug. "Hell if I should know. Maybe it's confidential, but I still don't get it. What could be wrong now? Besides the incoming Darkness, of course."

Amy sighed. "Don't know, but we better find out, right?" The others murmured in agreement, and they traveled to location of the meeting.

_Bowerstone Resistance Headquarters_

They arrived in the former HQ, and they saw how much it had changed. There were no longer rebels all around. Instead, it was eerily quiet. Almost too quiet.

They walked into the main room, and Page was waiting for them, a small smile on her face. "It's not every day a Queen walks into the Resistance Headquarters. You've changed the world since you were last in here."

Amy looked down, a little embarrassed. "It wasn't just me. After all, you played a big part as well."

Page nodded. "Still, we haven't changed it enough. Without Logan's troops, crime has gone way up, and there's one man in particular: Nigel Ferret. He's too slippery for me to get, but I know you've gotten to him in the past. Linda told me. Anyway, do you want to put an end to his criminal reign?"

Serah nodded, along with Amy and Alex. "Fuck yeah! That guy really pissed me off."

Page folded her arms across her developed chest. "Good. Kidd went undercover with a gang of robbers. They're going to hit the tavern in Bowerstone Market. If you get there in time, you can stop the raid. And at least one of those thugs must know where Ferret is holed up. Good luck."

"Shit, we're going to need it. Like she said, Ferret is a slippery bastard," Alex muttered. Serah let out a bit of a groan. "Great, we have to deal with more assholes. This is just the best day ever." Her sarcasm was noted, and Amy laughed. "Come on, the minute we get done with this, we can go into our 'private quarters' and have some fun."

"You know, let's go hurry up then."

Amy laughed, while Alex let out a sigh. "Is it really going to be one of those days that involve me hearing you have sex?" Serah glared at him. "Quit bitching. I don't recall it being a problem for Mira and Feya."

"That's a different story!"

Muttering under her breath, the Spartan lead them to the market and stop the raid.

_Bowerstone Market_

They arrived in the market, and the one thing they had noticed was how quiet it was. Bowerstone was known as the 'City That Never Sleeps', and for no one to be out was a shock. Even the local drunks were nowhere to be found.

Amy saw the pub, and they halted on the bridge. "Any plans for this?"

Alex leaned against one of the stalls. "There is a back entrance to the pub, where Serah and I can sneak in. You can take the main route, and we'll cover you."

Amy glanced at Serah, and she already had her rifle out and was stroking the weapon carefully. "I agree. If we pull this off, they won't have a single clue as to what hit them."

Amy nodded, pulling out the Reaver Industries Perforator and turned the safety off. "Let's go."

Serah and Alex snuck along the back, and they entered the pub's back door. There, they were in for a bit of a shock.

Inside, nearly all the workers were being held at gunpoint, with a half dozen bandits robbing them. Alex motioned for Serah to get down. "Shh, they don't know we're here, and I prefer we kept it that way. At least until Amy strikes."

Serah nodded, and silently the two crept up the stairs until they were on the balcony overhead, their ranged weapons drawn.

Amy entered, and the leader of the bandits began threatening the people. "If you cooperate, you won't get hurt. You give us any trouble, and we'll kill you, I'd like for one of you idiots to give me trouble so I can kill him as an example to the rest. Who's it gonna be then?"

He turned around, and he smirked upon seeing Amy. "Oh look, we have a volunteer. The Queen no less. Have at her fellas."

The men drew their rifles, and that's when Alex and Serah sprung. The duo released a furious barrage of bullets, hitting the bandits in the chest. The leader drew his sword, and he could not parry Amy's strike in time, and his face froze as her sword cut him in two.

A key fell from the dead bandit's pocket, as well as a note. The hostages fled back into the streets and to their families.

Alex picked up the key, while Serah grabbed the note. Her eyebrow rose as she read it aloud. "It is no longer advantageous for us to remain in the hideout in Industrial. I shall inaugurate a new center of operations in Bowerstone Market. You have been provided a key which will permit access. Please make sure it does not fall into unauthorized hands. Signed, Nigel Ferret."

On the back was a map showing where the hideout location was, and it made them face-palm.

Serah rubbed her temples, unamused by the man's idiocy. "Who the hell has a hideout under a bridge? What is he, a troll?"

Amy laughed at her comment. "Heh, it's better than last time. At least we don't have to go through sewers and shit."

"Good point."

They found the door, and with the key, opened it, hoping to confront Nigel Ferret for the final time.

_Hideout_

The trio was now inside, and several bandits were inside, and their target was among them. Nigel Ferret.

Ferret sighed and rubbed his temples. "You again! it does seem to objurgate the entire necessity of maintaining a secret hideout if your enemies can enter whenever they have the inclination." He turned to his men. "Lads, perform the services for which I employ you. Expeditiously."

The one bandit was confused. "Huh?"

Ferret rolled his eyes. "Kill them, fast!" He then ran and shut the doors behind him, preventing them from chasing him.

Bloody coward," Serah growled, unloading her rifle into a pair of bandits. "Oh, get some bloody skill already!"

Alex chuckled as he ducked a sword swing. "I take it they bore you greatly?"

Amy smirked, shooting a bandit's head off. "I can think of something that'll excite you, love." Serah grinned. "I know why I love you."

Alex sighed and rubbed his head. "Can we talk about this later? In case you have not noticed, that slippery bastard has got away."

Serah kicked a door to the left open, and they saw a side path, one they could use to chase Ferret. Alex amended his statement. "Okay, maybe we can get him."

They opened the next door, and they saw several bandits lying down, sleeping. How they didn't hear them barge in was a miracle.

Alex chuckled as he saw the sleeping bodies. "Wow, that is amusing. Better get them quickly and quietly."

Serah drew her combat knife and quietly slit the bandits' throats, not even letting out a cry. The floor was stained crimson, and the bodies of three bandits lay dead on the ground.

Serah wiped her knife clean. "Now, that's a few more bandits taken care of."

They headed in through another door, and they saw several cells, one of them occupied by a terrified man.

"Please, you've got to let me go! They'll kill me like the others!" he pleaded. Alex drew his sword. "Step back." The man did as he was told, and Alex sliced the lock off, opening the cell. Happy to be free, the man ran out to get a drink. Or off to his wife to get laid. One or the other.

They saw a trio of bandits heading their way, although they seemed to be shitfaced. Serah rolled her eyes as she saw them stumble. "What a bunch of bloody lightweights. I could hold my liquor when I was 16."

"Let's just shoot them and get it over with. I'm very bored already," Alex said dryly, his pistol already out. Serah sighed. "Fine then."

All three of them pulled out their guns and fired, the shots taking out the bandits rather fast. Disappointingly fast, one could say.

They stepped over the bodies and opened the last door, where they saw him. Nigel Ferret.

Ferret closed the door, and he was in a cell. "I believe I can state with relative confidence that your efforts are completely in vain. Even should it transpire that you vanquish my associates, this door is completely impenetrable. It also contains a secret egress which I will descend at any time I like. Meanwhile, my compatriots shall brutalize your person."

Guarding Ferret were two bandit leaders, each with a cigar in their mouths. "Come on and fight like a man!"

Alex smirked, and he tossed his weapons to Serah. "Keep the Queen safe. I'm taking this one myself." He got into a stance, ready to strike.

The bandit let out an angry roar and swung his fists, his immense strength behind each punch. Alex, with his speed and agility, ducked and countered the punch with a strike of his own, his leg catching the bandit in the chest.

The bandit got up quickly, and two balls of fire ignited in his hands. This guy was able to possess some Will after all.

'_If he wants to play like that then, so be it,' _Alex thought, clasping his hands together. Two shadowy masses were forming in his hands, and he could sense the bandit's hesitation. "Oh, scared are you?"

His taunt worked, as the bandit launched himself at Alex, only for the blonde Captain to vanish. The man looked around. "What the…"

He turned around, and he received a direct hit from Alex's Darkness magic, the spell making the body vanish completely. Only blackened rose petals remained.

Serah had Amy behind her, although the young Queen looked like she wanted to get in on the action. "I appreciate this, but I can take care of myself."

Serah shook her head. "That's not the point. If you get hurt, then the people are going to be discouraged, and we don't need that." Her hands were alive with magic, and she aimed two Shock/Ice Storm spells at the massive bandit. He let out a scream of fury and pain as the electric current jolted through his body and killed him.

As the bandit's body hit the floor, the door opened and Page joined them, satisfied. "You haven't lost your touch at all. I'm surprised his men were foolish enough to try fighting you three."

Ferret looked around the cell, and he sighed. "Now truth be told, my superlative intellect notwithstanding, this is not in fact the cell I had so confidently mentioned earlier. The one with the secret exit has two beds."

He faced Amy and Serah, who were giving him angry glares. "Very well, Your Majesty, you have won. I concede. However, I can entertain you with a certain proposal." He suddenly had a smirk on his face, and Serah, from her past experience with corrupt officers, had an idea where this was heading.

'_Is this moron serious considering to bribe us?' _she thought. She kept silent though, as Ferret didn't specify anything yet.

Page narrowed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "You have nothing to offer Ferret. It's over!"

Ferret began to protest, holding his arms up. "That pronouncement is objectively devoid of merit. I happen to have on my person a substantial quantity of currency. 100,000 gold pieces, to be exact. Let me go free, and the money is yours."

Page continued to look at the crime lord in disgust. "As far as I'm concerned, you can stay in there and rot. But it is not my place to decide what happens with your wretched life."

Amy thought about it. _'I really don't want to let him go, but 100,000 gold would be a boost. Not much of one, I'll admit, and I don't want to seem corrupt.'_

Amy stood in front of Ferret. "The answer is 'No'."

Ferret was very cross, and he sounded afraid. "You royal miscreant! This grievous malefaction shall be rewarded with equally grievous retribution!"

Having had enough of his stupid fancy vocabulary, Alex grabbed his pistol and shot Ferret in the head. The crime lord fell in a puddle of his own blood, and the others looked at the blonde.

"What the bloody hell was that about!?" Page demanded, furious. Alex holstered his pistol. "Please, that was a favor. His life was going to be quite short anyway, as he had no food or water, and a human can only survive for three days without the latter."

Serah stopped and pondered. "Okay, basically you put this bastard out of his misery. While I'll admit I would have enjoyed seeing him suffer, this was probably better."

Amy sighed. "I can't believe we've gotten so far. We have about what, 3,000,000 gold so far? I'm hoping the next proposals are not idiotic and easy."

Serah let her head rest on her shoulder. "Love, I know you have it tougher than any of us. You're trying to be strong, and banish the shadow of Logan's rule. It's not easy."

Amy relaxed, running a hand through Serah's hair. "And yet, we are not that far away from the attack anymore. Hell, I think Hobson is sleeping under the gold at this rate. What an idiot he is."

Serah stood up and let out a smile, kissing her. "That's more like the girl I know. Cheer up; I'll buy you a drink."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Is there a pub even open?"

"There is now, in Industrial."

Amy slapped her head. "Shit, I kind of forgot about that. Damn, what a day."

Holding her hand, they all went for a drink, and they had quite the time. Alex was one funny drunk, as he got on one of the tables and began reenacting the scene earlier when he told Serah that one of the soldiers' names was 'Asshole'. The crowd found it very amusing.

After about three hours of drinking, Serah and Amy were still sober, and Alex had crashed at the castle.

The two Heroes were walking down the street, and they saw an orphan girl, no older than ten, sitting on the streets. The girl looked up. "Are you here to help me?"

The sadness and hope in the girl's brown eyes stirred something in the Queen. Something she had never before experienced. Was it time?

"Serah, we can't leave her out here. It's too dangerous, even with Ferret gone. Poor thing doesn't have a place to go."

Serah nodded. "I was feeling the same way. We should take her in, adopt her."

The Spartan smiled and knelt down by the girl. "Yes, we are here to help. Come, let's take you home."

Together, with the start of a family, both Heroes now had another person they wanted to protect, other than each other. After, it was either adopt or die…

_**Save game… Quit!**_

_**A/N: Yes, I am finally done. If any of you loyal readers can spot the references in this chapter, don't be shy about telling me what they are. After all, who doesn't want a free jar of cookies? See you!**_

_**Ja**_


End file.
